


Thrillseekers

by albe_chan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter Next Generation, Infidelity, Mild Kink, Prostitution, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 67,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26706628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albe_chan/pseuds/albe_chan
Summary: An encounter neither expected to rock their world. A shared secret that threatens the lives they portray to the world. A chance to find the adrenaline rush only a thrill-seeker would crave. A relationship they know will change everything. Will it be worth it, or will it all fall apart and ruin more lives than just their own? MATURE. NextGen. Lily/Teddy. *CROSS POSTED FROM FF.NET*Completed.
Relationships: Teddy Lupin/Lily Luna Potter, Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

Thrillseekers

written by: albe-chan

 **DISCLAIMER** : This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned, I am making no money from this, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental. This work will contain MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing graphic sex, drinking, nudity, mild prostitution, kinky sex, infidelity, etc.), and/or violence. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! You have been warned!

XXX

Ted Remus Lupin pushed a hand through his bright, vibrantly teal hair and then dragged it down, over his face roughly. At twenty seven, he'd just been promoted, by his godfather Harry Potter, Head Auror, to Assistant Supervisor of the Specialized Auror Task Force. It was a big responsibility for someone as young as himself, which he knew before his godfather had told him as much, and in the two months since getting the job, Teddy had been putting in plenty of overtime to prove himself.

The Specialized Auror Task Force was sent out on missions to negotiate the release of hostages or recover kidnapping victims, do raids where there were known Dark Magic and Artefacts purveyors and illegal Potions trading, and, most commonly, to deal with extreme magical disagreements, usually in relation to domestic disturbances the regular Magical Law Enforcement couldn't handle. It was a tough job, with not enough pay, but Teddy liked the challenge and enjoyed proving himself. And when his Grandmother Andromeda Tonks had passed away the year before, she'd left him a sizeable inheritance that made his paycheck almost superfluous.

"Still at it, Lupin?" a voice drawled from the doorway of his office, and Teddy glanced up, smiling, as he looked at his best friend and fellow Auror, Tobias Shacklebolt. As son of the former Minister of Magic, and former former Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Teddy had known Tobias, or Toby, his entire life, and they'd been best mates all through Hogwarts and their Auror Training.

"That's what they pay me for, Shacklebolt," he replied, tossing down the reports from a call he'd sent two of the younger Task Force Aurors out on that day. It had been a routine disturbance, with a known subject, Mr. Bartemius Bolger, a man who liked to drink a lot, wear as little as possible, and occasionally run around Hogsmeade naked. It had just so happened he'd gone running on a Hogwarts weekend through the magical village, prompting several business owners to call. Bolger was also known for fighting dirty and evading capture, so the Task Force had been called on directly.

"Come on, it's a Friday night," Toby said, dropping into the chair across from Teddy's messy desk. "You should come out with me and the lads. Do you good."

Teddy snorted. The last time he'd gone out with Toby he'd gotten drunk, then more drunk, then shitfaced, and wound up passed out half in his Grandmother Tonks's fireplace. She'd been far from impressed and he'd been mortified, because he'd somehow lost his pants. "No thanks, Toby. I have to sign off on these," he waved at the reports, "and a half dozen others before it's quitting time for me."

Toby rolled dark eyes, and grinned. "C'mon, Lupin. We're going to that new wizard's club. The one in London."

Teddy frowned, because he'd heard of 'that new club' and none of it had been particularly complimentary. "You mean that brothel," he drawled.

Toby laughed. "Don't be a stick in the mud. The girls are to die for, the prices are reasonable, and you can just sit and pout and drink while we have a good time. Come on." Teddy rolled his bright amber eyes, inherited from his father and the one feature he'd stuck with his entire life, despite being a Metamorphmagus.

"No thanks," he said, picking up the reports again. Toby smacked them down, leaning forward.

"Aw, what's the matter, Ted, your Vic won't let you out to play?" Teddy narrowed his eyes. His longtime girlfriend, Victoire Weasley, didn't like him going out at all, not that it ever stopped him. They'd been together almost eight years, and he loved her, but she was much more reserved than himself, and slightly prudish, and disliked him going out with Toby, drinking with Toby, or falling victim to Toby's 'awful ideas'. And Teddy was pretty sure going to a whorehouse with Toby counted as one of those 'awful ideas'.

"Vic isn't my mother," he said sternly. "And she just knows you're an awful influence on me." Toby smirked.

"What are best mates for, Teddy, if not to persuade to do horrible things? But fine. Go home to your lady, then, have some boring missionary sex, and dream about being young and wild and _fun_. I'm going to get drunk, find two ladies, and have me a menage." Teddy snorted, because he was pretty sure Toby did that most weekends.

He shrugged, glanced at the reports, then stood up. "Fuck it," he said. "I'll go with you, if only so you don't get into trouble," he mumbled. And because Victoire would be at her parents' house for dinner that night, like she was every Friday, and he'd be going home to his flat to sleep alone. And if he drank while doing that, that would just be pathetic. So he'd go out, drink, not have sex with a whore, and go home at a respectable time. And everyone would win.

"Atta boy, Teddy!" Toby said, grinning hugely. "I almost thought you'd resigned yourself to being a married stiff without the wife, y'know," he said as Teddy grabbed his robes and locked up his office. Amber eyes rolled. He'd been enduring questions for the last five years about when he'd propose to Victoire. He even had a nice little bundle set aside for a ring, he just couldn't bring himself to buy one. Which wasn't to say he _wouldn't_ propose to Victoire, at some point. But he didn't want to rush things, and she never asked, and they were still young. She had just turned twenty five herself. Plenty of time still. He just wanted to do it at the right time.

"You're like a sixteen year old stuck in a grown man's body," Teddy drawled. Toby smirked.

"Got the libido to prove it," he said proudly and Teddy grimaced. They might be best mates, but that was almost too far.

"So who all's coming?" Teddy asked as they passed through the maze of Auror cubicles toward the lifts.

"Davies and Markleberry." Teddy frowned. Markleberry was a young Auror, barely out of Training, who Teddy found to be a bit of a show off and never completed his incident reports on time. Davies was a few years younger than them, but a reasonably good fellow, and very dependable. "They're meeting us there," Shacklebolt added as they got to the Atrium. They went out through the visitor entrance and Apparated with two loud pops to a dingy corner in downtown Muggle London. Across the road was a pub, and above the pub was their destination. The wizards' club, or more accurately, whorehouse, had been open almost a year, and although Teddy knew it was technically illegal, any time the Ministry tried to shut it down, paperwork was mysteriously lost and officials miraculously changed their tunes about the business.

Teddy didn't get the point, personally, but he wasn't opposed to the idea. If guys had to pay women to fuck, that was their deal, and if the women were okay by it, who was he to judge? "C'mon," Toby said, jogging across the road as a Muggle truck lumbered by, and they went in an unmarked door and up a flight of narrow, steep stairs. Once they'd paid admission, which was an exorbitant twenty five Galleons each, the two wizards moved into the club properly. There were tables with booths around them against one wall of the long, narrow room, a bar opposite, spanning the length of the establishment, and several groupings of couches and armchairs with low tables in the center through the middles. A dance floor was near the back, but it didn't look very busy.

It was a busy place however, filled with talk and laughter that rose over the bass-heavy music, and smoke shimmered in the air. Teddy controlled the urge to frown, even as his hair and eyes darkened, his face became slightly more angular, and he shrank a couple inches. He wasn't foolish enough to walk around, sticking out like a sore thumb, when in a moment he could revert to what he liked to call his 'other persona'. It was the change he made anytime he went into a situation he didn't want to be recognized in. Toby glanced back as they made their way to the bar, and smirked. "Tosser," he grumbled. Teddy's mouth quirked up. Ah, the perks of being able to change one's appearance at will.

They ordered whiskeys and moved to a table where Davies and Markleberry were already seated, the former with a petite little blonde who Teddy thought looked patently too young to be working here. She had on a mask to preserve her identity, the bright blue and green feathers on it distracting. Women, most of them in next to no clothing, milled around, all of them masked, all of them lovely, so far as he could tell.

Teddy barely refrained from rolling his eyes. This was going to be awkward, he just knew it. And indeed, within an hour of arriving, he was two and a half drinks in, the other men had picked their partners for the evening, and Teddy told the third witch in a row he wasn't interested before she could even sit down beside him.

"Hello," purred a sultry voice and Teddy barely held back his eye roll as he got a blast of seductive perfume and a woman moved to sit on the arm of the couch he reclined on.

"I'm not-" he began, glancing up, but then the words stuck in his throat. Sitting beside him, her face covered by a lacy black and ivory mask, only a shade darker than her smooth, perfect alabaster skin, with a wild mane of dark red, almost burgundy hair, all waving and curling around her shoulders and down her back, was the embodiment of 'his type' of witch. She was tall for a woman, her flawless legs a mile long under her tiny black shorts that may or may not have been panties, and lean without being skinny. She had pert, round breasts, set high on her chest and topped with dainty pink nipples that all but begged to be lavished, and her red-painted mouth curved up seductively.

There was something oddly familiar about her, but in the dim light, he couldn't tell if it was her light brown eyes or her hair. But his gut tingled in a way that suggested they had met at some point. Teddy almost laughed to himself. Surely if he'd met this woman before, he'd have remembered her. And besides, she was technically a whore, so what were the odds he'd met her? It was probably just that she reminded him of someone. He was betting it was the hair, which was a common Weasley trait, even if hers was darker than most of the Weasley relations'. "You're not what?" she asked huskily, mouth curving up crookedly now.

He took a fortifying drink, telling himself firmly he wasn't interested. Even though his cock twitched in his pants as she crossed her long legs, leaning into him, one small porcelain hand smoothing up his shoulder to his neck. He had a girlfriend. His cock didn't care. "I'm not looking for anything," he said firmly.

"That's a relief," she purred, leaning in closer, and he couldn't help but look down at her breasts as he breathed deep that tantalizing perfume again. "Would you like to buy me a drink?"

Teddy opened his mouth to say firmly, 'No', but instead, found himself saying, "Have mine." And, to make matters worse, his body was betraying him, and he extended his glass. But when her fingers brushed his, he couldn't ignore the jolt of awareness that had his cock half hard. Technically a whore she might be, but sweet fucking Merlin, he _wanted_.

"Thank you," she murmured, and took a sip. Her head tilted to one side. "This is going to sound entirely bizarre, but I feel like I've met you," she said very softly after a long moment where she stared at him and he stared at her.

Teddy frowned, because he _highly_ doubted that, and because he himself had just been thinking that. Maybe they-? "No," he said firmly.

Her mouth tilted up again. "Probably not," she said lightly. She leaned impossibly closer, almost touching him, close enough and at the perfect angle so that all he needed was a slight dip of his head to have her nipple in his mouth. She smelled delectable, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was as soft as she looked. "Thanks for the drink," she purred, leaning in and kissing him gently on the cheek, then pulled back and made to stand, and before Teddy could stop himself, he reached out and smoothed his hand up her thigh. And dear Godric, it was softer than it had looked.

When she paused, he gulped. "I...I don't-"

That red mouth under her three quarter mask curved up crookedly again. "Mmm, too bad you're not looking for anything. I like being the first one," she said in that sultry, slightly rough voice, then put a finger to his lips briefly. "Come back when you're ready, sweetheart," she added. "Ask for Blossom." Teddy sat there, stunned, as she got up from the arm of the couch, and watched her as she sauntered away, her firm, pert little ass waving erotically, until she melted into the crowd.

For several minutes he sat there, merely staring, mouth parted ever so slightly, and then, at last, after a lengthy delay, outrage kicked in. How dare she! Who the hell was she to say he wasn't ready!? For Godric's sake, he was a grown man, not a blushing virgin! He got up, got himself a drink, and went to find her. The nerve! Just because he wasn't interested, didn't mean he _couldn't_. He could have sex with a whore if he wanted to!

Teddy was growing more frustrated as the seconds ticked into minutes and there was no sign of her long legs or red hair, and for a horrible moment, he wondered if she had been claimed by another. For some reason, the thought made the Auror furious.

"I thought you weren't looking for anything?" that voice purred from his left, a whiff of seductive perfume tickling his nose again, and when he turned, there indeed she was. As tall as him in his current disguise and her heels, and looking as ravishable as ever. And now he wanted even _more_. "You seem like you're searching awfully hard, sweetheart."

Teddy frowned. "Considering your job, you don't have very good people skills," he said rudely, but she merely chuckled huskily.

"Would you like to help me improve upon them?" she asked, tilting her head coyly, pressing into him lightly. His eyes dropped to her breasts again, those lovely, perfect breasts with their delicious little nipples that he bet tasted amazing, and- No! "Or would you like a more private demonstration of my people skills?" she purred, pressing herself more firmly against him. She'd obviously ditched his drink, because both her palms smoothed up his chest and she caught her lower lip between her teeth. And, although Teddy wanted to remain immune, he felt himself go rock hard in his pants when she did. The innocence of that gesture, so at odds with her boldness and profession, had his want pushing into overdrive.

And before Teddy could stop himself, his hands went around the smoothness of her waist, bringing her more firmly against himself. "I'd prefer to do the demonstrating," he growled into her ear, and was pleased when she sucked in a breath.

She pulled back a little, tapped his lips with a finger again, and smiled. "Follow me," she murmured, and turned, slipping from his arms, and Teddy followed. Moments later he followed her to a room lit with myriad candles, a massive bed, and a mirrored ceiling. He hesitated on the threshold. The woman looked over one creamy shoulder at him, tossing her hair and smiling again. And Merlin's saggy left bollock, she was fucking perfect. "Or would you like to continue your search?" Teddy stepped in. "When that door closes behind you," she said casually, "you have an hour. If you can't afford it, I suggest you leave now."

Her purr and tempting gravelly tone faded as she discussed business, and Teddy's lip curled ever so slightly. He wanted to turn around and walk out. He wanted to tell her to get a real job posing for Michelangelo or whatever beautiful women who looked like goddesses did, not fucking whoever wanted to pay for it. But most of all Teddy wanted to see her face. Instead, he closed the door behind himself, damning himself to hell and, should she ever find out, Victoire Weasley's wrath. And the wrath of her very large extended family. The woman grinned and he felt his stomach churn. What the hell was he doing? He had a girlfriend!

But then she moved back toward him, reached for his hand, and brought it slowly to her breast. And the second his fingertips brushed her satiny flesh, a low groan issuing from his mouth, he was gone. He _wanted_ , he'd committed himself to paying, and what he did next would define him as a man. And as his hand moved to cup her breast fully, thumb dragging over her nipple, feeling it bead into hardness, Teddy Lupin didn't care that he was probably making a mistake. His other hand lifted to caress her other breast, and he took a deep breath through his nose.

Sure, he was a grown man, and not a blushing virginal boy, but the only woman he'd ever had sex with that he recalled, which excluded that one night he'd gotten very drunk and slept with some floozy he'd met in a bar going on five years ago, was Victoire. And she was very particular about what she liked in bed. And now, Teddy found himself wishing he'd gone out with Toby more, if only he'd know what the hell he was supposed to do next.

The redhead reached up and unclasped his robes, then her small hands moved to the buttons on his shirt. She wasn't looking at him, and he was grateful. When she finished with his buttons, her hands dropped to his belt, but he grasped her wrists. Her eyes darted up, and he saw they weren't brown as he'd first thought, but a soft hazel, just the tiniest hint of green. The feeling that he'd met her before niggled, but he shoved it aside. His palms smoothed up her arms to her shoulders, and up her neck, until he could bury his hands in her hair.

"I've never done this before," he found himself saying roughly. She smiled.

"I can tell," she breathed, moving away, pushing her panty-shorts off. Teddy licked his lips. "So I'm going to give you free a piece of advice." She sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back on one arm, striking a very seductive pose.

"What?" he asked, shedding his robes and shirt, tossing them onto a chair. Her eyes darted down his frame, then went back to his face.

Her mouth quirked, smacking of disdain and amusement, making his brows lift and his eyes narrow. "I'm not your wife, sweetheart. Don't treat me like it."

His brows, if they could have lifted any more, would have undoubtedly lifted right over his head, but instead he smirked. "Duly noted," he said, undoing his own belt. It was actually a relief, because now that she'd acknowledged he was with someone else, bizarrely, he felt better about what he was about to do. She'd just said herself, she wasn't his wife, or girlfriend, or even friend. She wasn't anyone to him, so what did it matter if he had one night of wild sex with a very attractive, clearly willing woman?

Teddy moved toward her, pulling his belt off, and she wet her lips. "What would you like me to call you?" she asked softly as his fingers eased into her hair again. She had lovely hair, and he wondered what it would look like, sprawled everywhere, as she sucked him off. His hand made a fist as his cock twitched and her mouth parted.

"It doesn't matter," he said roughly. Her mouth flickered for a moment at that. "Lay down," he said gruffly, and grunted as she complied. He shucked the last of his clothing and moved over her, mouth immediately closing around one nipple and suckling greedily. Teddy barely heard her noise of pleasure, because he was drowning in bliss, trying hard not to lose it right then. Her breasts were firm and soft and her nipples tasted better than he'd even imagined. He released the first one with a pop, moving to the other on autopilot, suckling roughly and then nipping her. And at the soft, breathy moan from her throat, he grunted. He nipped her again, rewarded with another soft moan, and Teddy strove for patience. She might be a whore, but he had self pride, and wanted to bring her enjoyment before greedily taking his own.

He moved back to the first breast, pulling hard at her nipple with his teeth, loving the vociferous approval, and then couldn't wait anymore. Besides, she wasn't his wife. Why the hell should it matter if she enjoyed it? He was paying for it!

Without preamble, he pushed into her slick wetness, grunting as her tight heat enveloped his prick, and she moaned, right against his ear. He pulled back and drove home selfishly again, but if anything, she seemed to enjoy it, legs falling open entirely for him. Teddy pulled back, braced himself on one elbow, and buried the other hand in her glorious dark red mane, tugging as he sheathed himself again. And damn it all to hell, she was so hot and tight and wet, he felt his control wavering. "Yes," she breathed, spurring him on.

He nipped hard at the top of her breast, licking the hurt and thrust hard back in, clenching a fistful of her hair. "You like that?" he rumbled as she moaned again.

"Yes," she groaned. Teddy grinned. He himself preferred his sex rough, although Victoire preferred the more slow and gentle lovemaking, but he didn't give a shit about the woman beneath him. For all he knew she was lying to him anyway. He pulled back a bit more, wanting to rip her damn mask off as he moved faster, thrusted harder into her willing heat.

Her moans rose in pitch and volume until he had both her legs over his shoulders, one hand still clutching a fistful of her glorious mane pulling hard with every thrust, taking her hard and fast and selfishly, loving every debauched second of it. And just when he felt his control slipping she reached up and gripped his shoulders, whimpered, and cried out, squeezing him. Teddy shouted as he pounded her, coming harder than he was certain he'd ever come before.

His chest was heaving when Teddy finally opened his eyes, the woman sitting up on the edge of the bed, her back to him, her long red mane cascading in a bloody river over her alabaster flesh. Godric, she was a walking fantasy. His cock twitched just thinking about her, and without thought, his fingers dragged through her waves again.

She glanced over her shoulder, red mouth quirking up into that sultry half smile, and one of her hands gliding down his chest and stomach. "Ready for round two, sweetheart?" she asked, turning properly and tossing her hair, moving to straddle him. "You've still got thirty five minutes, you know."

Teddy smirked, fondling her without hesitation now, pulling roughly at her nipples, then sat up to lick and suck and bite them some more. She was an oasis and he but a man dying of thirst. "I know," he rumbled, although he'd entirely forgotten. His hands moulded and shaped her flesh greedily. "But I think you should give me that demonstration of your social skills now," he said, urging her lower.

And when she bent, taking him into her mouth, bringing him rapidly back to full mast, her hair did in fact look spectacular sprawled all over him, even if he wasn't quite himself. He grasped it with both hands, those long, glorious, dark red locks, tugging and grunting as she fellated him, and felt his libido ramping up again. Godric, but she was good. He tugged harder, wrenching a moan from her that rumbled all the way down his dick, pleasure sizzling through him, and had to pull her away abruptly before he lost it again.

"Fuck, you're good at that," Teddy growled. She licked her lips lasciviously.

"Mmhmm." She flashed that coy smile and Teddy released her hair, pulled her up roughly, and sat her down on his dick. They moaned in tandem and he guided her to ride him aggressively. A grunt of pure ecstasy was wrenched from him as her head tipped back, her moans wavering as he thrust up into her, tits bouncing temptingly. He grasped her ass and thrust harder, wanting to hear her come again, even if it was fake.

He tried to tell himself she was a whore, she did this every night, probably, and there was no way her responses weren't fabricated, but he couldn't help the smug satisfaction her sounds of pleasure brought him. He gripped her ass harder, then, when he felt her start to clench again, he lifted her up off his cock and revelled in her huff of disappointment. He rolled them in the massive bed, but made no move to bury himself to the hilt in her like his body demanded. "Turn over," he said roughly, and grunted as she complied. "Hands and knees," he demanded, rising up onto his own knees, looking down at her smooth, flawlessly white back as she followed his command.

And when she dipped her lower back, presenting herself for him, he drove home abruptly, groaning as she moaned, and set a fast pace, pumping in and out of her willing, wet warmth with abandon. Again she moaned, and he grunted, grasping her hips firmly and pulling her hard back against him as he thrust forward. She was perfect, it was perfect, and he let the last of his inhibitions fly as he fucked her senseless. She was moaning loud, pushing back eagerly onto him, and Teddy grit his teeth. "Yes," she moaned, "oh yes, _yes_!"

"On your elbows," he grunted, and she complied, whimpering at the angle change. He pounded her harder, watching her upper half melt onto the mattress. "Fuck yes, that's perfect," he growled. "Yes, tell me you like it," he grunted.

"I love it," she moaned. "Ooh, yes, _yesss_ , I love it!"

"Fuck yeah," he groaned, edging ever closer. His blood boiled with arousal, sweat slicking his back and forehead, and he could hear his heart thundering in his ears. He thrust harder, impossibly faster, and without thinking, a hand cracked over her soft, supple ass.

The redhead beneath him cried out, whether in pleasure or pain he wasn't sure. But Teddy was too far gone to care. He spanked her again and then a third time and she moaned loudly, pushing his desire into the stratosphere. His left hand grasped a handful of hair, tugging hard, tilting her head back as he fucked her, and she cried out again, a breathy moan around the word, " _Please_!"

"Unh, yes, fuck yes," he ground out, and felt the telltale pull behind his navel, like Portkey travel, as white hot bliss slammed through him. He was hardly aware of all but howling his release, or practically ripping her hair out, or even of the way she reached a loud and satisfied peak beneath him. All he could think about, drifting in ecstasy as he collapsed into the soft womanly form beneath him, pinning her to the bed, was that it had never, _ever_ , been that intense with Victoire.

He rolled to the side at long last, panting, exhausted, and utterly replete. His companion sat up, pushing a hand through her hair, clearly striving to get herself back under control. "You're pretty good at that," she said in that throaty purr of hers, and he grunted, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep.

A soft chiming bell sounded and her mouth smiled, but it looked mechanical to the Metamorphmagus, who was familiar with facial gestures, having perfected a thousand different ones to wear at whim. "I suppose that means my time is up?" he said.

"Yes," she said simply, and cast him a look, eyes roving over his naked form, assessing. She gave him a real smile, a soft one, free of any sexual connotations. "I hope you come back," she said lightly, then got up from the bed, slipped her little shorts on again, and headed out, closing the door behind herself.

Teddy looked after her for a moment, then pushed himself up, feeling exhausted as he hadn't since his first week in Auror Training when he'd been denied sleep for three consecutive days before an exam to gauge how he reacted under duress. He got dressed quickly and went to the door, but it wouldn't open. Then he remembered he had to pay. An uncomfortable mix of guilt and shame had his cheeks going pink, but he picked up the little pamphlet that had been on the night stand and flipped through it. There were three dozen women, all posing and pouting sexily in their photos, masks on, in the little pamphlet, with names and numbers at the bottom of each page. She was the third last one. Her whore name in shining gold ink under her photo. Blossom. And beneath that a price that made Teddy choke. One hundred Galleons an hour. He gulped, knowing he didn't have that kind of gold in his money bag, so he scribbled out a withdrawal slip from his personal account at Gringotts, left it on the bed, and finally slipped out of the room. He was half wondering where Toby and the others had got to and if he should attempt to find them when a hand clapped him on the shoulder.

"Teddy, ol' boy," said Toby, slurring his words a little, clearly drunk, "I told you they were to die for, didn't I?"

Teddy pursed his mouth and Toby grinned. "I'm going home," he said stiffly.

Toby laughed at him. "No nightcap?" he drawled.

The Metamorphmagus ignored him, heading to the exit, and breathed deep the cold night air that slapped him in the face when he reached the street. His face felt hot. He reached into his pocket for his wand and brushed the stupid pamphlet he'd apparently felt the need to pocket before leaving the room. He moved just inside an alleyway, dark with shadows, and glanced at the pamphlet again from the dingy yellow light of a street lamp up the block. There she was, lifting that sexy mane of dark red hair in her photo, breasts pushed out and looking delicious, red mouth smiling. Blossom.

He shook his head, gripped his wand, and with a muttered, " _Incendio_!" the pamphlet became a pile of ash at his feet. Teddy sighed, feeling suddenly drunk, and Apparated home to his empty flat, crawled into bed fully clothed, and passed out.

XXX


	2. Chapter 2

XXX

“Teddy?” Silence reigned in the humble one bedroom, open concept studio flat Teddy Lupin called home. Victoire Weasley sighed, stepping from her boyfriend’s fireplace after Flooing over first thing so they could have coffee and breakfast together like they did every Saturday morning. The clock ticked over to eight eleven as she made her way through his living room toward his bedroom.

A small smile curved her lips when she saw him in bed, still asleep, and wondered how late he’d gotten in the night before. He’d been working himself half to death since being promoted, staying late almost every night, and the blonde witch made a mental note to bring it up when she saw her uncle Harry, his boss and godfather. Surely he wouldn’t want Teddy wasting away putting in fourteen hour days for the job.

He frowned in his sleep, mumbled something incoherent, and rolled over. Victoire smiled again, then frowned when she realized he’d fallen into bed fully clothed. Poor thing, he needed a vacation. She sighed, moved into the room and sat on the bed beside him, gently smoothing a hand up his arm and shoulder. He grunted in sleep. “Teddy,” she murmured. “Teddy, time to get up.” She shook him lightly, brushing his hair off his forehead.

He rolled onto his back and his brows pulled together, then he murmured, “Just another hour, that’s all I need.” Victoire smirked.

“Teddy,” she said, a little louder, and shook him again. He yawned, pulled her closer without opening his eyes, slinging one arm around her waist, and she giggled softly as she laid down with him. “Teddy, wake up,” she murmured.

“I am awake,” he rumbled, hand moving up as he turned into her. His eyes were still closed as his hand moved up, over her breast, and Victoire felt herself blushing a little. “Mmm,” he murmured, squeezing, and then frowned ever so slightly. His hand moved up, tangling in her hair and his frown deepened. “Why do you smell different?” he asked, face turning into her neck.

Victoire rolled her eyes. Teddy had never been a morning person, and while it was endearing, she didn’t get how he couldn’t just wake up and be aware. “I smell the same,” she whispered.

“No,” he said, and his hand tightened in her hair. He kissed her, rough and dominant, and she pushed him back.

“Teddy, I don’t think-”

“Don’t think,” he rumbled. He kissed her again, tongue pushing into her mouth, and he tugged on her hair. Victoire scowled, pushing him away again, more firmly. “Come on, babe,” he groaned, mouth moving down her neck, and he bit her none too gently.

“Ow! Teddy!” she snarled. His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. She glared. “What’s gotten into you?” she asked, hoping that bite wouldn’t leave a mark.

“Vic,” he said, blinking in the morning light, looking sleepy and confused. “I thought-” He broke off and rubbed a hand over his face. “I was dreaming,” he said, looking down.

“About what?” she demanded.

He glanced up then down again, shaking his head. “Nothing,” he mumbled. Her mouth pursed a little as he leaned in and kissed her neck softly. “I’m sorry.” Victoire sighed, melting as his mouth meandered, soft as a whisper, up her neck, and he smoothed a hand over her hair. “I had a late night.”

“You need to start coming home at a decent time,” she chided gently. “You’re going to work yourself to death.”

“I know,” he murmured, then turned her head gently and kissed her lingeringly. She smiled, looking up into his eyes. “But I don’t want Harry to think I’m not-”

“He knows you’re a hard worker,” Victoire said firmly. “And he knows you’re the best wizard for your job. You don’t have to prove anything.”

Teddy sighed. They’d had this conversation before. “I know,” he mumbled. He pulled back and yawned hugely. “What time is it?”

“Almost eight thirty,” she said, glancing at her watch. “Come on, get up and get dressed. I’ll get breakfast.”

She bounced out of bed and went toward the bedroom doorway, glancing back as Teddy pulled his clothes from the night before off. She frowned. “What happened to your back?” she asked, seeing two long, red scratches across his left shoulder blade.

“What?” he asked, looking over his shoulder, clearly trying to see them. Victoire frowned.

“Your back,” she repeated. “You have scratches.” Teddy looked away and shrugged.

“Oh,” he said lightly. “Must’ve been from the raid last week. I thought one of those wizards nicked me with a Cutting Curse.”

Victoire all but scowled, moving over, wand drawn. “Let me see, to make sure they’re healing prop-”

“No,” Teddy said, standing up and turning toward her. “I’m fine. Go start breakfast, I’ll be out in a minute.”

He waited until he heard his girlfriend whipping up breakfast in the kitchen to nip into the bathroom and look at the scratches himself. And when he did he winced a little. Because to him they looked precisely like what they were. The marks from another woman’s nails digging into him as she screamed with pleasure and came around him. Teddy shivered, remembering the woman from the night before. Blossom. Godric, she’d been good. And he’d dreamed about her, vividly, his whiskey-soaked brain inserting her into all of his darkest fantasies and playing them beneath his eyelids. Needless to say, he’d been more than shocked when he found not her but Victoire in bed with him, looking affronted after he’d bitten her.

He quickly went back to the bedroom, got dressed in clean clothes, and made himself presentable, purposely making his hair dark brown and short, the way Vic liked best, because he felt guilty. He’d cheated on her, willingly, and _paid_ to do so. And, impossibly worse, when she’d arrived to wake him and make him breakfast, he’d been convinced she was said other woman. His mouth pursed, but he headed out to the kitchen, seeing her at the stove. Bacon sizzled in the skillet as eggs whipped themselves and a knife chopped vegetables efficiently for omelets.

Godric, what was wrong with him? Here he had a very nice woman, who came to wake him up and cuddle and cook him breakfast on a Saturday morning, and he was thinking about some whore he’d fucked the night before. He was a piece of shit.

Victoire glanced around, a smile unfurling on her lovely face. “Hey. Nice hair,” she teased, and he smiled a little. “Come sit. The paper just came, and coffee is ready,” she said, turning back to the stove. Teddy felt guilt churning in his belly but went and sat, unrolling the Daily Prophet, and accepting a cup of coffee with just a touch of cream, no sugar. Godric, he _was_ a piece of shit. Any wizard would give his wand arm for a woman like Victoire.

“You’re too good to me,” he said honestly as she slid a plate with bacon, omelet and toast in front of him a few minutes later.

She leaned down and kissed his cheek. “No, you deserve it,” she said. “And besides, we have a busy day.”

His brows drew together, coffee cup pausing halfway to his mouth. “Doing what?”

Her blue eyes rolled and she smiled again. “You’re so forgetful, Ted,” she said lightly, taking a dainty bite of her own omelet. “We have Dominique’s baby shower, silly.”

Teddy blanched. He’d forgotten entirely. About the shower anyway, not that Vic’s younger sister was having a baby. He couldn’t forget that when every other week some Weasley asked when he and Victoire would be making babies together. And while she never mentioned anything other than how pleased she was at the notion of being an aunt, Teddy had a feeling Vic was a tiny bit jealous her younger sister had married and settled down, and now started a family, before her. “I thought baby showers were a woman thing,” he said, hoping to fast talk his way out of going. The last thing he needed was hormonal Weasley women demanding to know when Vic would be the one having the baby shower.

“Traditionally it is,” Victoire said. “But we’re Weasleys,” she said by way of explanation. “Don’t worry, you’ll get to sit with the men and congratulate Joshua and smoke cigars or whatever.” Her nose wrinkled a bit at the notion of cigar smoking and Teddy barely held back an eye roll. But that wouldn’t be so bad.

“When is it?” he asked.

“Eleven,” she said, then reached over and put her hand on his. “I’m so excited Dom’s having a baby,” she said softly. “It’s going to be so wonderful, don’t you think?”

“Mmm,” he said through a mouthful of eggs, hoping the noncommittal answer would suffice. Vic paused, waiting. Apparently it didn’t. Teddy swallowed his mouthful. “They’re in for a long ride,” he said. Victoire frowned prettily.

He knew her mother was part Veela, and she’d inherited the exquisite bone structure and silvery blond hair associated with them, and the temper as well. “What does that mean?”

Teddy shrugged. “Just that babies are a lot of work,” he said equably. He didn’t mention it seemed a tad unnecessary, too, but she seemed to gather as much.

“You don’t think it’s worth it?” she demanded.

“No, Vic,” he murmured, turning his hand under hers and clasping it. “Of course they’re worth it, but the not sleeping, the living for someone else, the stress... It’s a lot, right? Awfully brave of your little sister and Josh to jump in. They’ve only been married, what, a year?”

“Fifteen months,” she said primly. Teddy held back the eye roll. “And if I know Dom, she’s got it. Besides, I’m sure Mum will help her out, and Nan’s going to be demanding to take the baby as often as possible. And Grandmere, too.”

“And Aunty Vic,” Teddy teased. Victoire blushed a little, looking unbearably beautiful sitting in his kitchen. She sipped her coffee, still holding his hand.

“Of course,” she said lightly. “Actually, I was thinking I might stay with Dom, just for a week or two after she has the baby. Just to help out, you know. She’s going to be recovering, and Josh is going to be frantic I’m sure. Do you think that would be okay?”

Teddy wanted to shout ‘NO!’ because he was certain a week of extended exposure to her niece or nephew to be would send Victoire into baby fever overdrive, but he smiled. “Of course,” he said instead.

She beamed. “You’re the best,” she sighed, and moved her hand to cup his face. He drew her forward and kissed her gently.

“No you,” he said, guilt settling over him like a shroud again.

“Eat up, your omelet will get cold,” Vic said, pulling back and finishing her own breakfast.

At eleven, they arrived at Molly and Arthur Weasley’s back door, the comforting sights and smells of the Burrow putting Teddy’s anxieties to rest, if only for a moment. Victoire abandoned him in the backyard with the rest of the wizards gathered, and Teddy accepted a drink from Ron Weasley, and Conjured himself a comfortable lawn chair in the group of men. The sun was shining, the May sky a brilliant blue and Teddy sighed, relaxing as he listened vaguely to the conversations floating around him.

“Teddy,” someone hissed and he glanced up, smirking at Albus Potter. He was like a kid brother to Teddy, who’d half grown up in the Potter household, and narrowed his eyes because Al had that troublemaking expression. “C’mon. We’re taking the man of the hour for a celebratory smoke in Grandad’s shed.”

Teddy shrugged but followed, rumpling Albus’s messy hair. “What’s new, Al?” he asked lightly as they made their way to the shed.

Albus smirked. “Same as ever.”

Teddy chuckled. For Albus, that meant, partying all night, sleeping at his desk in the Ministry’s Department of Magical Transportation, Broomstick Regulation Divison, all day, and finding a new lady to take to bed every night. Teddy wondered how he didn’t call them the wrong names. “No settling down in your immediate future then?”

The green eyed wizard snorted. “Never. And you?”

Teddy was spared the hassle of answering as they reached the shed, and merely smirked, passing through the door before Albus. “Look what the cat dragged in,” James Potter said, smirking. Teddy rolled his eyes.

“I know, you should get a haircut, Jamie,” Teddy said ruffling his hair as he’d done to Albus. Louis, Victoire and Dominique’s younger brother, was there, as well as Fred Weasley II, and of course, the father to be, Joshua Mansfield. Chairs were Conjured, cigars passed around, and smoking commenced, and Teddy let his mind wander as the conversation flowed easily between the cousins and Joshua.

He tried not to, but he simply couldn’t stop thinking about the redheaded temptress he’d earned himself a spot in Hell with last night. The way her silky hair had felt clenched in his palm, the unbearable softness of her porcelain flesh, and, most of all, that wicked red mouth curling up coyly and then circling his cock. Godric, she had been so fucking _good_! He couldn’t help but think about her. And want her impossibly more.

“Hello? Earth to Lupin!” James was saying, and then smacked him hard in the chest.

“Ow! What you tosser?”

James rolled his eyes. “We’re taking bets on whether it’s a boy or girl.”

“It’s definitely a boy,” Albus said firmly. “Has to be.”

“Nah, it’s gonna be a girl, just to spite you,” Fred said, pulling from his beer, cigar clenched between two fingers. “A little ginger headed Weasley. Sorry, Josh.”

Teddy didn’t much care, to be honest, but he was pretty sure it would be poor form to say that. “I’m willing to bet it’s one of the two,” Teddy said instead, and the young men laughed and toasted to that.

Inside was another story. The lines had been drawn. Team girl consisted of Fleur, Molly Jr, Lucy, Hermione, Rose, and Angelina. Team boy was Molly Sr, Ginny, Roxanne, Dominique herself, and Victoire. Lily Potter drained her lemonade, wishing it was spiked with triple the amount of whiskey, and bit back a sigh. She was the only person on team don’t fucking care, but as she’d been dragged to the baby shower, she pretended she was team boy, if only to earn brownie points with her mother and the hormonal pregnant lady.

What Lily would have rather been doing was the very nice man she’d had last night again, though preferably at her leisure and in her own bed at home. He’d been precisely what she liked in a man where beds were concerned. Rough, decisive, and well hung. A little shorter than preferable, but all in all, she wouldn’t complain if she saw him again.

“I’m going to go find a drink,” Lily whispered to her mother.

Ginny Potter smiled rigidly, the ‘I’m timing you’ smile. “Okay, honey. Hurry back, we’re going to do the game with chocolate bars in nappies next!”

Lily smiled brightly and completely fake, face aching, and slipped from the sitting room into the kitchen, rubbing her jaw. She’d been fake smiling for the last hour and needed lots more liquor to be able to keep it up for another hour or two more. It wasn’t that Lily didn’t love her family, really, because she did. And it wasn’t that she wasn’t excited for Dominique’s baby, because she was, babies were adorable after all. It was just that it seemed pretty pointless for her to be around all the other women who’d had babies or wanted babies or were planning out how to acquire their own babies in future, when she was completely at the other side of the spectrum.

She glanced round as she opened the liquor cabinet, grinning as her cousin Roxanne joined her, looking like she needed a good half dozen stiff drinks, too. “Hey girl, what’re you having?” Lily drawled as she pawed over bottles.

“Tequila. Lots of it. And then we’re gonna sneak out to Grandad’s shed and have a little puff with the boys.”

Lily grinned, pulled out the tequila and made them heavy handed drinks, clinking glasses with Roxanne. “I’ll drink to that.”

They couldn’t sneak out until after the nappies game, which was much funnier after three shots of tequila downed in thirty seconds. And by the time they got out the kitchen door, Lily felt great and had managed to smile genuinely a few times, saving her poor aching face.

Roxanne lit up a cigarette and Lily glanced at it with longing, but her father was ten feet away and she didn’t dare. Instead she just stood with Roxy and they slowly wandered toward the shed. And after Roxanne outed her cigarette, they slipped in.

“Boo, go away, Lily,” Albus said automatically. The redhead flipped him off.

“This is why we all love Jamie more, Al,” she shot back, and grinned, eyes roving over the other assembled gentlemen. “Teddy!” she said in surprise, even as Fred sparked up a big fatty. Well there went any chance of her partaking in any puffing. She barely held back her frown and pasted on a smile for Teddy Lupin, her not-quite brother and not-really friend, as she sat beside him. She wasn’t sure what he was to her. He was just Teddy. And she noticed he looked preoccupied, and his hair wasn’t turquoise. “How’s things?” she asked, and sipped her drink.

Teddy blinked, as if just now seeing her, and laughed. “The same as ever, Little Lily. And you?”

The redhead frowned at the loathsome nickname. “I’m not little,” she said firmly. Hell, she was already eighteen fucking years old! An adult, through and through!

Teddy smirked, as though she amused him, and the redhead frowned hugely, crossing her legs, and held in a sigh, taking a long pull from her drink. “You are little, Lily,” he said, and to her absolute horror, he tweaked her nose. He actually tweaked her fucking nose, like she was five years old. She was rendered still with shock for a beat, then grit her teeth into a smile. And when Roxanne, who was sitting to her right, passed the joint, Lily threw caution to the wind. She’d teach Teddy Lupin to call her little. The redheaded witch accepted it, took a puff, then another smaller one after huffing it out, and passed the joint on.

Teddy’s brows lifted. “Sorry,” she said blithely, and exhaled. “Did you want that?”

“Your parents will kill you if they find out.”

Lily smirked a little, high and tipsy. “Yup. Best not to tell them,” she murmured, and patted his cheek patronizingly. “Unless you Aurors swear an oath of truth and justice,” she added teasingly, then turned pointedly toward Roxanne. “Can I bum a fag?”

An hour later she was unfortunately back inside, but it was at least moving along to the opening of presents now. Lily was excited to see Dominique open her gift. She had no idea what to get a baby, so she’d gotten a tiny outfit that looked relatively gender neutral, and a gift certificate for the mum-to-be to get a massage after the baby was born. Or before, if she really wanted, Lily supposed, but she figured that would be a waste. And when Dominique opened it, after the cooing over the adorable quality of tiny baby clothes that would fit for a couple months and then no more, and then opened the envelope with the gift certificate, Lily was horrified. Because her pregnant cousin burst into tears after reading the little note attached that read, ‘ _Because you’ll probably need it at some point, if only for a break. Love, Lily_ ’.

“Oh no, I’m sorry,” she said automatically, but Dominique only cried harder, waving a hand. “Um, should someone go get Josh, or-?”

“Hormones,” Molly Weasley Sr. said with sage wisdom. “That’s a very thoughtful gift, dearie.”

Lily blushed. She just hadn’t known what to get, so she got her cousin what she herself would’ve wanted after having a freaking baby come out. “Thank you,” Dominique said, wiping her eyes, and chuckled a bit. Lily tried hard not to feel unnerved by the emotional shift.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a stiff smile, and the opening of gifts continued. Lily counted down the hours until she could leave.

Outside, Teddy Lupin was doing the same. He wondered how long this thing would be going on, and then frowned, drinking only because it was something to do with his hands, while his mind thought about little Lily Potter toking on a joint. What the bleeding fuck had that been all about? And when did she become a rebellious, saucy woman, versus the gangly, sweet girl she’d been? It was mind boggling.

And then there was that awful, horrible moment, when he’d seen her standing in the little shed, her long ivory legs descending from her shorts, and his mind, craven and weak as it seemed, had gone straight back to the night before. The long, perfect legs on that gorgeous, perfect whore he’d fucked into oblivion and had been trying with little success to avoid thinking about all damned day.

But there was no way that woman was Little Lily. He almost laughed aloud at the mere notion. Little Lily might be a tall, long-legged redhead, but she definitely wasn’t that woman. And Teddy definitely doubted she’d had a body like the one he recalled under her khaki shorts, tank and little denim vest. That, and as he recalled, Little Lily had the gingery red hair, not that deep burgundy red the woman who consumed his mind did. _Godric_ , what he wouldn’t give to have her again!

Teddy took a too big gulp of his drink and choked, coughed, and swallowed, feeling ashamed of himself. _Get it together. You can’t ever do it again_. Teddy got up to get out of the smoke cloud and decided he should give the father-to-be his gift and heart to heart while he was sober enough to remember it. Teddy hadn’t had the first clue what to get a baby, so he’d gotten something for Josh instead. Besides, the Metamorphmagus couldn’t, for the life of him, bring himself to wrap _anything_ in gift wrap with nappies and ducks and little piles of blocks on it.

“First off, congrats, or whatever the man equivalent is, considering you didn’t do much,” Teddy teased and Josh smirked.

“Thanks, man.”

“And second, since you’ll probably be missing out on poker night for awhile, I’m going to loan you my lucky chip. If you lose it, or you never bring it back, I’ll be pissed.”

Josh grinned, mouth widening goofily, and nodded. “Maybe. You’re buying beer when I give this back, though.”

Teddy smirked, clinked their bottles together and saluted his almost brother in law with it. “Deal.” They both drank. “I’ll even throw in pizza.”

Josh grinned then swallowed and glanced around. “Can I tell you something though?” he asked. _Uh oh_.

“Sure,” Teddy said softly.

“I’m kind of terrified.”

Teddy paused, because _that_ was something he could get. He’d probably leave the country if Vic got knocked up. “Well,” he said slowly, feeling he should at least say _something_ , “that’s what you have Dom for. Right? I mean, she’s gotta do the shit, you just gotta be there for her. That’s not so bad, I think.”

Josh mulled this over for a moment, nodding slowly. “That’s not a bad way to look at it.”

Teddy scoffed. “Course it is. Who do you take me for?”

Joshua merely rolled his eyes and went back to his seat of honor and Teddy went in search of either his girlfriend or food. At this point, he just needed to break up the boredom, and resulting guilty as sin thoughts about a sexy redhead who _wasn’t_ his girlfriend, with _something_. He found both in the kitchen. “We were just going to call you,” she said, blushing attractively when he kissed her neck, just below the corner of her jaw, hugging her from behind, feeling guiltier still about his traitorous thoughts. “It’s time to eat.”

“Then I have impeccable timing. I was looking for you, and then food.” He turned his face more fully into Victoire’s neck and murmured, “And then maybe more of you later, at my place?” in a bedroom tone against her ear.

She blushed more. “Not now,” the blonde hissed as people came into the kitchen and she moved away. Teddy barely held back the sigh, but dutifully filled his plate and ate and was partly mollified when seating, or lack thereof, dictated she sit in his lap.

The Metamorphmagus glanced around, amber eyes scanning the table, but there was no sign of Lily. _Huh. Maybe she ditched_. Now he wondered if he’d somehow hurt her feelings earlier. Damn, he was all fucked up and it was all that perfect, sexy whore’s fault. Blossom. Damn her, and damn Toby for bringing him to that fucking place anyway!

“So when are you gonna get Vicky knocked up?” a brazen voice asked loudly from Teddy’s left, and he glanced around his girlfriend to glare at Lily Potter, who looked beyond amused and decidedly stoned. Several other people looked round at this question and he grit his teeth. For her part, Lily looked unaffected by any possible response. She had moved to lean against the table, chairs having become a rare commodity when the whole Weasley clan got together, and popped a roasted potato wedge into her mouth. “Isn’t that how it normally goes?” she added, tilting her head as she chewed, not caring that she was talking with her mouth full. “You get old, get hitched, and pop out half a dozen little br- babies?”

Lily saw her cousin Victoire’s mouth curve with distaste, but whether that was the mention of the pretty blonde witch having been with Teddy for ages and _still_ not married or knocked up or because Lily was talking with her mouth full the redhead was unsure. All Lily knew was Teddy looked distinctly uncomfortable with the turn in conversation and it was funny as hell. If he could tease her for being little, she could tease him about being old and just as unsettled as he’d been at her age.

“Well?” she demanded, swallowing her mouthful of potato. Lily shifted her glance to Victoire. “Has he even talked about popping the question yet?”

The blonde’s mouth pursed a tiny bit, but she smiled brilliantly. “No,” she said, a hint of French accent seeping through. Lily rolled hazel eyes. “We’re not in a rush,” Victoire said easily.

Teddy glared from behind her. “Huh,” Lily said, and ate some more food, this time going in for a bite of roasted chicken. “So aren’t you like worried he’ll just never propose?” she pushed, putting on a thoughtful expression, knowing it was a sensitive issue. Just last Sunday, at family dinner night, her parents had wondered aloud together if Teddy was going to settle down with their niece, and Lily could only imagine Victoire had expected it would happen by now.

“No,” Victoire said firmly, looking stern, and then her face softened into a smile. “You’ll know if it ever happens for you, Lily. I’m just lucky. I’ve met my soulmate already. No need to hurry along destiny.”

The redhead narrowed her already fairly squinty eyes and forced a shrug at the condescending tone, then thought, against her will, of that man she’d met the night before. She hoped her soulmate would be like _that_ in the sack. “Lucky you,” she said, and then smirked, standing upright again. “Well, hopefully destiny kicks in and he can man up soon, then,” she said blandly and pushed off from the table.

Teddy stared after her frowning, feeling Victoire all but bristling atop him. “Vic,” he murmured.

“Not here,” she hissed under breath, and resumed eating, acting perfectly normal, although he knew she was pissed by Lily’s questions. He was a little pissed himself. That wasn’t the sort of thing you asked a couple, and Teddy knew for a fact Lily had been raised better than that.

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

XXX

By the time they got through lunch, there were still at least a dozen people there, helping the parents to be cart the small mountain of baby supplies home with them. Teddy knew before Victoire even opened her mouth she’d want to stay. He wanted nothing more than to go home, but found himself taking three trips to assist with the carting of baby supplies instead. And when, at last, he did Floo to Victoire’s little flat with her, she promptly kicked him out, claiming work.

And Teddy knew, from experience, that his girlfriend took her writing for _Potioneering Today_ , the number one selling Potions magazine in Britain, more seriously than he almost took his own work. That meant there’d be less than a zero percent chance of afternoon delight.

So when he got to his own flat, he was left with nothing but thoughts of a sexy redhead who wasn’t his girlfriend. And Teddy hated himself for it, but he couldn’t fight his own body when it wanted nothing more than to find that woman and get her horizontal again. He paced, brooded, started a half dozen times for the door to go find that whore and have her again, if only to banish her from his mind once and for all, but held back.

He was already a piece of shit. He’d cheated on his girlfriend with a fairly pricey whore less than twenty four hours ago and here he was, wanting to do it again. But there was a difference between making a stupid mistake once and then going back to do it again. Teddy knew he’d fucked the moral line the night before, but to go back… That would make him worse than a piece of shit. Vic didn’t deserve that.

So he brooded and paced his flat, went out for a burger, and came back feeling triumphant, certain he was still a relatively decent human being. When he got back in, Toby was lounging on his couch, watching his Muggle telly with fascination. “This is bizarre,” he murmured. Teddy smirked, going to the fridge. “I drank your last beer,” Toby added and laughed when the Metamorphmagus frowned back. “Did Vic find out? You have your square hair on.”

Teddy glared, blinked and changed his hair back to it’s regular floppy, grossly overgrown mohawk in vibrant teal, then shrugged. “Find out what?” he asked blandly, grabbing a soda from the fridge and joining his best mate on the couch.

Toby smirked. “Almost. Gotta work on your reaction time.” Teddy rolled amber eyes. “So that’s a no, then?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Teddy said repressively.

“Sure you do,” Toby said with a huge grin. “I gotta admit,” he took a drink of Teddy’s last beer, “I was surprised you did it, mate.” The Metamorphmagus merely maintained his silence. “Deny it all you want, I saw her come out before you,” Toby added, glancing round at his best mate again, and Teddy scowled. “And I’m not an idiot. I can keep my mouth shut.”

Teddy snorted at that, popping the top on his soda and chugging. “Yeah right. You love drama.”

“Not at your expense,” Toby said. “You’re wound too tight for that. But I gotta ask, was it worth it?”

Teddy regarded his beverage. Was it? He’d cheated on a beautiful, steady witch who adored him and wanted only the best for him with an absolute vixen who’d rocked his world in bed. “I cheated on Vic,” he said at last, shaking his head. “She deserves better than that.”

Toby snorted. “She’s got you on a two foot leash, mate.” Teddy glared. He knew Toby accepted Vic was there long term in Teddy’s life, but didn’t like her, insisting she was far too boring for a man like Teddy. “You had fun one time when she let you out to play. That doesn’t mean anything.”

The Metamorphmagus was tempted to mention the other incident he’d been too drunk to remember, only knowing for certain when he woke up naked with a witch who wasn’t Victoire the next morning. He kept his mouth shut instead. Because together, those incidents looked pretty fucking bad. “She’s not my keeper,” he said defensively, “I’d just rather spend time with a gorgeous, smart woman who takes her clothes off for me than you, you dolt.”

Toby snorted. “Sure sure.”

Just then there was a whoosh from the fireplace and Victoire’s voice half-shouted, “Teddy!”

He looked over, seeing her head in the dancing flames. He jumped up in seconds at her panicked expression. “What’s wrong?” he demanded calmly, his Auror training kicking in.

“Dom’s having the baby!”

Teddy blinked, a denial on the tip of his tongue. They’d just seen her. Like five hours ago. There’d been no baby on the radar. “What?” he asked dazedly.

“Her water broke, and she’s supposed to have three weeks left, and she’s panicking. I have to go with her to St. Mungo’s, just to make sure.” The lovely blonde, her face a mask of uncertainty, bit her lip. “If she has the baby, I-”

Teddy already knew what she was going to say. She’d want to stay with her sister. “I know, Vic,” he said softly. “Go, and update me when you can.”

Victoire’s face sagged with relief and then she beamed. “I will. Godric, here I was so worried you’d be mad I might have to cancel our weekend away. You’re the best. I love you.” She blew him a kiss and then Flooed off, but Teddy could only stare at the fireplace for a long moment.

Their weekend away. The weekend they’d booked, together, three months ago. The one he’d been toying with the idea of using to maybe propose the idea of marriage, if not the real question. The weekend that had promised to be just them, without distraction or interruption or any mentions of work. And now her sister was going to be having her damned baby, and he couldn’t even be mad, because he was already a piece of shit. Damn it!

“So,” Toby drawled when Teddy finally sat back down. “Looks like your evening is going to be sans sexy blonde girlfriend.” Toby grinned, the expression a silent challenge, and his dark eyes crinkled over his blindingly white smile. “Coming out with the lads and me?”

Teddy was tempted to tell him to sod off, but going out would be way better than sitting at home, staying sober, and thinking about that goddamn witch he’d paid to fuck last night. So he nodded, almost laughing at his friend’s shocked expression. “You bet, Tobe. Someone has to keep you perverts on the straight and narrow.”

Toby rolled his eyes, but grinned. “We’ll see, Lupin.”

Lily curled her hair as she sat at her vanity, teasing her deceptively dark red hair out into a cascade of waves, thinking back to her morning and early afternoon as she got ready for work. Godric, a baby shower. And it was the first of what she assumed would be _lots_ of Weasley relations being in the thick of them. And sweet fucking Salazar, Lily was going to think up a good excuse as to why she couldn’t ever attend another one. It hadn’t been too awful, all things considered, but she was still pissed Teddy Lupin had tweaked her nose and called her little.

She finished her hair, running hands through it to tousle her locks sexily, and set it with hairspray. If he could see her now, she wagered, he wouldn’t have any clue what hit him. She _definitely_ didn’t look little, especially as she made up her face heavily. And, at last, she changed into her favourite work outfit.

Oh yeah, she wagered, regarding herself in the mirror for a long moment. If Teddy Lupin saw her looking like this, the word little, she hoped, would be the furthest from his mind. Lily grinned, gave herself a last spritz of perfume and grabbed her bag, heading to the club, picking up her ivory and black lace face mask as she went. And as she Apparated out from the stairwell of her Muggle building, she couldn’t help but wonder if that guy, the mystery man who’d rocked her world the night before, would be there again. Even as she told herself not to hope for it.

She was early, as per usual, and already masked by the time she slipped in the employee entrance, because she could only imagine the backlash if her identity was ever revealed, and had a quick cigarette with one of the other girls she got on with, Hannah. “Saw your Friday evening earlier,” Hannah said as they puffed.

Lily grinned, because Friday evenings were the company of Scorpius Malfoy. Loaded, wicked hot, and an absolute pussycat in the bedroom, Lily liked Scorpius Malfoy. She liked him _lots_ , because he was one of the few regulars she had and always let her be on top. “Oh goody, maybe it’ll be a long weekend,” she said and laughed a little. The other girl smirked.

When she got out onto the floor, her itty bitty silver sequined mini dress catching the dim lighting and drawing the attention of almost everyone within a five foot radius, Lily was on a mission to find Malfoy and stake her claim before some other hussy distracted him. She wasn’t above being a bit catty to keep her regulars under her thumb and unaware of whatever talents her coworkers might have.

She’d just seen him, with the little trollop and flavour of the month, according to the manager Brian’s logbook, Stephanie, plastered to his front, when someone caught her upper arm and turned her away. Her brows drew together under her mask, but then her mouth parted, because there, looking as forbidding as he had the night before while he sat and drank, was the man she’d told herself firmly not to hope for.

Godric, she didn’t even know his name, but already, the scent of his cologne, the feeling of his hand around her arm holding her, and those dark eyes roving over her, had her excited beyond measure and panting for him. “You came back,” she murmured, feeling the unmistakable flash of bizarre recognition as he tilted his head a little at her. Lily felt inordinately pleased by this notion and sucked in a deep breath as he pulled her closer. Her palms smoothed up his chest and she tossed her hair.

Teddy stared down at the young woman in her mask, feeling her low, shallow breathing, unable to tell if she was faking her excitement, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Because his excitement was probably more than enough for the both of them.

He’d been furious when Toby dragged him, again, to the stupid ‘escort club’, and then relieved beyond measure he hadn’t seen the redheaded vixen who’d taken up residence in his consciousness. And then, coming back from the head, he’d seen her. And been furious all over again. How dare she show up out of the blue, looking edible and like a glittering fairy with her luminously white flesh and that goddamn dress that sparkled and glittered and reflected every tiny source of light a hundredfold!? He’d been ready to evict her from his mind and now she was there, reaffirming to his brain he hadn’t simply imagined her, or hallucinated the previous evening. And now that he had her, all luscious, warm woman, pressed to his front, he _wanted_. Last night had merely whet his appetite for her, and he grit his teeth together hard, trying to refrain from simply taking her home with him. Teddy was fairly certain that would get him kicked out for sure.

“Blossom, was it?” he drawled, and her mouth curled up sinuously.

“You bet, sweetheart,” she purred, and tossed the sexy mane of hair that his fingers itched to grab hold of while he fucked her mouth senseless. “Did you miss me?”

 _Fuck yes_. “Can’t miss what’s not mine,” he said lightly, and his hands roved around, up under her dress, and grabbed her firm, pert little ass. _Godric, so fucking good_.

“Sure you can, sweetheart,” she said in that rough gravelly voice. Her mouth moved against his ear. “And I can be yours anytime you like.”

Teddy’s lip curled. _For a small fortune_. “An hour isn’t long enough to make me miss you, sweetheart,” he said. She pouted and tapped his lips and Teddy felt a shiver of familiarity go down his spine.

“Then let’s hope you have deep enough pockets for longer tonight,” she teased, and leaned up, intending to kiss him lightly and slink away, playing coy and also finding out if she’d just lost Malfoy to that little blonde slut, Stephanie. Instead he pulled her right up against himself, and Lily, feeling him through his trousers, felt herself getting unbearably wet.

“Let’s hope you can keep up the same pace tonight,” he growled, and kissed her hungrily, one hand fisting in her hair as he grunted. Lily felt a wave of arousal and swallowed past it. She didn’t do this, she didn’t go for more than a single hour in a night anymore. She couldn’t risk her anonymity. But Godric, she hoped this guy could afford the whole night, because she wanted it _bad_.

Ever since joining the club, first as one of the masked waitresses who only teased and taunted, Lily had been firm with herself she wouldn’t ever become involved with her customers. And then, one night, she’d gone from waitress to working girl when one of the men who frequented the club had come for the tenth night in a row, seeking her out to talk with her, and flirt with her, and make suggestions about how she could make so much more money being the kind of woman who took pity on lonely fellows like himself. She’d fallen for that man, and hard. She’d had him every night, often without making him pay, and then even when she wasn’t working. When his wedding photos had hit the Prophet and she’d learned she’d been nothing more than a fling for the very engaged Junior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Lily had been crushed. She’d gotten involved outside the boundaries of the club, hell, she’d even revealed her true identity to the guy, and he’d promised her everything she’d ever wanted to have. Love, security, a future together, a family. And then, three days later, he’d gotten married.

And from that moment forward, she’d hardened her heart to relationships and men. And while she’d kept on at the club, she’d been very careful to never let anyone come close to meaning anything other than a paycheck for her. But this man… This man, with his determination and straightforwardness could crumble her. And Lily wanted to be crumbled by him.

The redhead told herself he was probably married, even though she didn’t see a wedding ring, or at least taken, and only came because she was an easy lay. Hell, she got paid to do it, right? How much easier could a woman get, really. She was just a good time for him, a paid distraction from being a lonely, under-sexed bloke. And even though that was probably all true, Lily wanted anyway. It was easy to pretend, when he’d been owning her body, that there was something else there, something she’d always craved in relationships and never found. That intangible feeling of innate _rightness_ , and more than just longing for what she could do for him.

“You’ll see, sweetheart,” she purred, and slithered away from him, sucking in a fortifying breath. _Just because he’s in the top three lays of your life doesn’t mean shit. Don’t be a fool twice, Potter. He’s a customer, not boyfriend material._ She lead the way to the same room they’d used last time, because it was Lily’s personal favourite, and they both paused by the open door as she turned to the man. He was her height in her heels and she stared into his dark eyes levelly. “How long do you think you’ll need tonight, sweetheart?” She wasn’t foolish enough to presume he’d need more than two hours.

He looked at her, and for a moment she felt as though he’d tell her none and walk away, but then he rumbled, “Four.”

Both her brows shot up. Because that wouldn’t be cheap. But if he paid… She bit her lip to contain her enthusiasm. “Very well,” she said roughly. “Four hours.” She crossed into the room, and glanced over her shoulder at the man, smiling seductively. “I hope you’re ready, sweetheart.”

Teddy gulped, wondering what the hell he’d just gotten himself into. He’d been thinking with his dick, not his brain, and now that the line was there, right before him, he wondered if he could cross it. He already knew the answer to whether he _should_ cross it. He’d crossed that line of ‘should’ when he’d told her he needed four hours. Hell, he’d crossed the ‘should’ line when he even agreed to go out with Toby and his lads. And now… Now he was either a piece of shit with a shred of dignity, or a despicable piece of shit with no conscience.

He gulped again and moved into the room, closing the door behind himself, sealing his Fate as The Worst Boyfriend Ever, and joining the ranks of Shittiest Males Alive. But when the redheaded whore stripped her glittery little dress and climbed onto the massive bed, spreading herself out on elbows and knees, red mouth curving up under her delicate mask, Teddy couldn’t bring himself to give a shit. Because for the next four hours, he wasn’t Teddy Lupin, and he could worry about the consequences of his actions later.

He divested himself of clothing hurriedly, already aching to be inside her, and grunted when she tossed her hair again. “You have no idea how ready I am,” he growled, and moved toward her. She made to roll onto her back, but he stopped her with a firm, “No.” He spanked one of her upturned ass cheeks. “I remember how much you like it this way, sweetheart,” he grunted, climbing onto the bed behind her, adjusting her hips roughly to his liking, savouring the sweet agony of rubbing his rock hard prick over her dripping slit. _Godric, she’s already fucking wet._ He didn’t even have to fucking touch her. Then again, she _was_ a whore.

Teddy pushed home into her hot, tight warmth and reveled in her groan of satisfaction. “Yes, _yes_ ,” she moaned, stretching her arms out before her as Teddy set an unforgiving pace that raced them to completion. “Ooh, fuck _yes_!”

He groaned, because she was so perfect he couldn’t even think as he fucked her senseless, and then reached down for a fistful of her hair. “Come on, sweetheart,” he grunted, tugging her hair roughly, loving her loud moans of approval, feeling his orgasm, wanting to hold back until she lost it. “Tell me how much you like that.”

“ _Yesss_!” she moaned, the sibilant wavering with his wild thrusting.

“Tell me,” he demanded, tugging her hair harder, and she moaned louder than ever.

“I love it, I love it, I love it, _yes_!” The last word came out on a scream as she came, hard, fast, and perfect around him, and Teddy felt himself losing control with her, shouting as he came, pounding her until he collapsed.

When he opened his eyes, breathing coming in fast pants, he was still buried inside her, still half hard, and she, unless he was hallucinating from the mind-blowing quality of the sex, was trying to get more friction between her legs. He groaned, withdrawing, making her whimper, and then thrust into her lazily. “More already?” he rumbled, pulling back a little more and filling her a little harder and faster this time.

She whimpered again, arching and writhing under him as he lifted onto his elbows, her legs falling open impossibly wider, inviting him unbearably deeper. He felt himself getting hard again. “Please,” she moaned, her alabaster hands clutching the snowy sheets.

“Please what, sweetheart?” he grunted, moving a little faster still. Fuck, she was too good, and he wanted to drown himself in her. He bit her neck possessively, shifting his weight to the right to grasp her hip. She whimpered again. “Please fuck you until you scream for me? Or please fuck that sweet, dripping puss harder?” He moved faster still, pressing her pelvis down into the mattress with every thrust. “Or is it please don’t stop?” He did stop, pausing, filling her, enjoying the way she writhed and groaned beneath him.

“Mmm, please,” she said, gravelly voice raspy with arousal. “Please, all of it, _please_.” She tried to ride him but she was pinned beneath him, mewling for it, and Teddy felt a hot surge of lust, because she was pleading for _him_. “ _Please_ ,” she begged, and he fisted his hand in her hair again, biting down hard on the tender junction between her neck and her shoulder. She’d marked him and he wanted to do the same to her.

“If you insist,” he growled, and moved again, slow and deep, loving the long, sinuous arch of her body beneath him, then set a fast, selfish pace that had him to the edge again in minutes, his red haired lover crying out her completion beneath him once more as he pounded her into the bed and grunted his own release.

Teddy rolled off of her, panting hard, knowing there was time still to have her, time still to be a nameless bastard without a care, and grunted again when she turned into him, chest heaving with exertion. “You’re really good at that,” she purred breathlessly, and one of her thighs slid intimately over his. Teddy could only grunt, but he privately thought she was better than really good. Then, softer, almost as though she were speaking to herself, the whore with her cloud of soft, burgundy hair and even softer porcelain flesh, mumbled, “She’s lucky, whoever you have at home.”

Teddy felt his temper rear at that. He didn’t want to be reminded of that, damn it! He was the nameless bastard, not who he really was, a man with a doting girlfriend who was probably a nervous wreck right now while her sister was possiby having a fucking baby. “I’m not paying you to talk,” he said harshly, and felt her flinch. He felt bad when she stiffened and then withdrew, but hardened his heart. He didn’t care about her, or her feelings, damn it! Fuck, she was probably acting anyway.

He rolled over, looking at the flawless expanse of her back, and traced a line of golden freckles across one shoulder, seeing the mark where he’d bitten her. Oddly, he didn’t feel at all bad about that, but rather pleased in a caveman sort of way. “Of course not,” she said in that sultry purr, and looked over at him, then licked her red lips. “Would you like me to show you exactly what you _are_ paying me for, then?” she drawled, pushing a hand through her mane of hair.

Teddy sat up on an elbow, leaning over to suck, hard and greedy, at her nipple, tugging it with his teeth playfully. “No,” he said in a deep voice, laced with lazy desire still. Godric she would be the death of him after four hours! “I just want you to keep that pretty mouth shut until I tell you to open it,” he grunted, and then grinned. “And _now_ you can put that mouth to work, sweetheart.”

Teddy Lupin started, having just begun drifting off serenely, to the sound of the bell chiming. His companion stirred, lifting her head, and sighed. His body was sated and exhausted, his mind sluggish and slow in the limp afterglow of the best sex of his life. He’d taken the redhead any and every way he could think, was almost positive he’d permanently damaged himself with the number of times he’d come in the last four hours, and yet, Teddy was furious he was being so unceremoniously booted out of nirvana.

The woman got up and smiled softly at him. Her lips, still flawlessly red, curved up sleepily as she looked at him. “Time’s up, sweetheart.”

He felt surly and grouchy as he sat up as well, and glared a little. “Obviously,” he grouched, hating that he’d fork over an obscene amount of money once she left and he’d be back to being Teddy Lupin, all around piece of shit.

The woman slipped back into her glittery dress and heels, tossing her hair, and moved toward the door, then hesitated. “If you want to see me again,” she murmured, staring at the door knob, and paused again, biting her lower lip. Again, the innocence of the gesture, so at odds with her sassy personality and seedy profession, only made him want her all the more. “I’ll be having coffee tomorrow morning around eleven at Greenery Cafe,” she whispered, and then, as if he’d imagined the entire interlude, she slipped out, the door clicking closed softly behind her.

Teddy blinked at the spot she’d been standing in moment before. Had she just…? There was no bloody way she wanted to see him again, outside of this place! ...Was there? And even if, by some chance there was, that she did, obviously he couldn’t go. ...Could he? No. Certainly not. It was one thing to come here and visit the sexy redheaded temptress, pay her for a good time. Or several good times, as it were. It was another thing entirely to meet her somewhere covertly as if he wanted more than a two time deal with her.

Teddy shook his head firmly. No, he might want the more than two time deal, lots, vigorously and regularly if he was honest with himself, but that would make him beyond despicable. Beyond a piece of shit.

He signed a withdrawal slip for his Gringotts’ account and pushed a hand through his dark hair. He wouldn’t meet a whore for coffee. He wasn’t some desperate loser, and he wasn’t single. No, he’d pretend she’d never mentioned it and get on with his life. His life with Victoire. Yes. And as Teddy exited the room, glancing back at the mussed bed and remembering the way the redheaded witch, Blossom, had sounded in the throes of ecstasy, he told himself he was only disappointed in himself because he’d somehow become such an awful human being.

When he got home, there were two owls from Victoire. The first, time stamped by his meticulous girlfriend, for six hours ago, which would have been just after he’d gone out, stated there was still no word if Dominique would have the baby, that tests were still being run. The second, timed for just under an hour ago, according to his watch, said she was in labour, the baby was coming, and to come by and visit tomorrow at St. Mungo’s.

The last line of the note made his heart thud painfully, stomach cramping with guilt. _I’m so excited, Teddy, and I can’t wait until it’s the other way around!_ And of course, the loopy, ‘I love you’s at the end of both notes made him feel sick with shame, face and neck burning with it. Teddy sighed, barely registering as he shifted back into himself, and trudged toward the shower, dead on his feet. He felt more tired now than he’d felt ever in his entire existence, and hated that he was glad there’d be no morning wake up call from Vic to worry about.

He shook his head as he stepped under the hot spray of his shower. _I am a piece of shit._ Because when he closed his eyes, all he could think about was Blossom, and her soft perfect body, submitting to his every whim, and grunted, half hard. _Godric fucking Gryffindor, what the hell is wrong with me_!?

Morning came too brightly and far too soon for Teddy, and he yawned massively, wanting to roll over and go back to sleep, preferably with a certain redheaded witch who was rapidly becoming kind of an obsession. Instead an impatient owl hooted at him and pecked his head roughly. Teddy wanted to throw a temper tantrum. Instead he snatched the note from the bird and told it to fuck off. He dozed off and on for awhile before he reckoned he really should get up, before his morning wood got any woodier, if only to wank off thinking about Blossom. Again. He groaned, rolling onto his stomach, and the note crinkled in his hand. He opened his eyes blearily and tried to make sense of the words written on it for several long seconds. And when he at last recognized the writing, the words began to make sense.

XXX


	4. Chapter 4

XXX

Lily sat in the hard plastic chair and felt herself nodding off. “Lily,” her mother hissed, and her head jerked up, looking at the clock for the seventh time in as many minutes. Good Godric, she was going to implode if _something_ didn’t happen, and soon.

“I get that it’s not like precise, but we’ve been here forever, and nothing’s happened,” Lily sighed for the third time. She’d gotten home just after twelve, gotten to bed after a hot shower around one in the morning, and had been unceremoniously awoken by her mother at six, when the elder redhead showed up and demanded Lily get up and dressed and come to St. Mungo’s to see her second-cousin as soon as possible after being born.

“I’m sure it’ll be soon,” Ginny Potter said repressively and Lily wanted to just go home and sleep some more. She’d had a busy night and then been dragged to wait at St. Mungo’s with the rest of her female relatives for a baby that seemed determined to not come.

That thought brought a smile to her lips. He’d come again, and it had been… She wasn’t even sure there were words. He’d taken her at whim, vigorously, for those four glorious hours, and for four hours, Lily had forgotten she wasn’t allowed to fall for some random who happened to be the best lay of her life. She’d given and taken and it had been perfect. _He’d_ been perfect. Going fast and hard when she begged for it, taking her slow and deep when they were both tired, touching her and always talking to her, telling her how delicious she tasted, how amazing she felt. The redhead knew she wasn’t allowed to hope he’d want anything more from her, but Lily hadn’t been able to help herself, and told him to meet her for coffee. And now… Now it was almost eleven and even if he showed up, she probably wouldn’t be there. She’d be sitting in a rock hard fucking chair at St. Mungo’s, waiting for a baby to arrive.

Her head nodded again but Lily caught herself this time and stood up. “Well I’m gonna pass out if I keep just sitting. I need to go for a walk or something.”

“Hurry back,” her mother said and Lily walked down, out of the birthing ward toward the tearoom upstairs. She wanted to pout and cry and possibly kick something, because it wasn’t fair that he probably had some amazing woman to go home to who met every need except the one he paid her for, as he’d explicitly stated. Even as she’d been daydreaming and being a romantic, imagining that forbidden dream, that he would fall for her and she could let herself fall for him and she’d get a happily ever after. It wasn’t fair she would only ever be a physical distraction for men. Always the mistress, never the Mrs. And it wasn’t fair that the only men she met and wanted more than an hour with were usually already taken.

The redhead crushed her self-pitying thoughts abruptly and got in line for a scone and a coffee. It didn’t matter. She’d have fun while she was young and then, maybe, settle down with someone she could be happy with at some point. Lily smirked a little, wishing and hoping that her mystery man would come back again. Maybe that night.

She got to the front of the line and ordered her coffee and a blueberry scone and waited for her beverage to the side when she caught sight of a tuft of turquoise hair above the crowd.

“Teddy?” she asked, mouth turning down, just as her coffee was called out. He stepped forward, looking grim and tired as Lily felt. “What are you doing here?”

“I was sent to find you. Apparently there’s a baby.”

Lily’s mouth dropped open. “What? I was gone like ten minutes, maximum!” She silently cursed the little bugger for being born when she wasn’t even there to rush in and coo obligingly at it. And now she’d never hear the end of it from her mother.

She headed back out of the tea room with Teddy, toward the stairs, glaring as he snatched up her little bag containing her scone and pulled her snack out. “Thanks, Little Lily,” he said, grinning, and took a massive bite. Her lip curled as he handed the other half to her.

“You’re such a jerk,” she said, and shoved him, brushing a few stray hairs that had escaped her bun from her forehead. “Why are you here, really?” she asked, sipping her coffee, and waved away the rest of her scone. Teddy ate it, grunting.

“Because Vic asked me to be,” he replied, sounding the tiniest bit sullen at that. Lily supposed being the only male other than Josh was a tad intimidating and she smirked, drinking more coffee. Teddy lifted the cup right out of her hand and sipped.

“Ew, what the bloody hell is in that?”

She glared, snatched her cup back and barely refrained from punching Teddy as they got back to the doors for the baby ward. “It’s caramel cream. And stop nicking my stuff!”

Teddy grinned and chucked her under the chin, making her feel like a child again. She shot him a murderous look. “You get so huffy, it’s too fun not to,” he said easily, and the redhead pushed past him, into the ward.

After she cooed and admired the cuteness of her cousin’s baby, who looked a little red and alien-like to Lily if she was being honest, Lily was finally about to leave. She kissed Dominique and the baby and Josh and then her mother and headed out, pausing to readjust her purse on her shoulder as she got to the doors of the ward again. And then she heard voices arguing outside the door, and it was pretty obvious who it was and what they were arguing about.

“Vic,” Teddy was saying, sounding exasperated but holding it in, “I’m not saying you shouldn’t go. I’m sure Dom is going to appreciate the help, it’s just, this was supposed to be our weekend.”

Victoire sounding teary and hurt, said grumpily, “Ted, we can book another weekend. I already promised her, two weeks.”

“And you can have your two weeks, just take our weekend away off from Aunty-duty.”

And then Victoire sounded angry. “You’re being really selfish,” she hissed. Lily privately disagreed. She thought he was being more than fair.

Before they could say anything more, and because Lily kind of felt guilty for accidentally and then on purpose eavesdropping, she pushed the ward door open and pretended she was just breezing through right then. “Oh shit!” she said in feigned shock, and stopped dead, almost smacking her own cousin with the door and her poor acting.

“Merde!” Victoire shouted and Lily almost gave into the temptation of rolling her eyes at the extra French-ness. “You shouldn’t go barging around!” the lovely blonde chastised and Teddy merely remained with a neutral expression, saying nothing. The redhead got the feeling he thought his girlfriend was over-excited by her sister’s baby, but that might’ve just been Lily’s opinion.

“Sorry,” the younger witch said without meaning it in the slightest. “My bad. I didn’t get you with the door, did I?”

Victoire narrowed her eyes. “No,” she said throatily, and looked at Teddy. “I’m not going to go back on my word.”

Lily barely refrained from wincing at the look of wintery disapproval on the Metamorphmagus’ face. “Guess I’ll push off then, too. I should let Mason know my weekend opened up,” he said, and Victoire’s lip wobbled dangerously. “Let me know when you’re free, Vic,” he said and headed out, ignoring Lily entirely, for which she was slightly grateful. The blonde witch pushed by her, blushing and looking embarrassed when she snuck a peek at Lily, and went back through the door, presumably to go back to her sister and new niece.

Lily frowned, heading out of St. Mungo’s on autopilot. Now she kind of felt bad for the probing questions at the baby shower. Had she created the tension there, or was it merely a more tender than she thought spot? She hoped the little tiff between them hadn’t been instigated by her, though. When she got out onto the street, Teddy was leaning against the grubby window beside her, looking grumpy and preoccupied as he stared at the ground. “Hey,” she said softly.

Teddy looked at her, head snapping up like lightning, flinched the tiniest bit, and frowned. “Hi,” he said shortly.

“Um, you look pissed. Wanna go get breakfast and maybe talk about it?”

Teddy’s mouth flickered ever so slightly into a smile and he shrugged. “Sure,” he said lightly. “So long as you’re buying, Little Lily.”

The redhead rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She grabbed his hand abruptly, and Apparated him Side Along, without the courtesy of forewarning to prepare himself, and dragged him through time and space to her favourite place for breakfast, which was served all day.

Teddy stared at the Hog’s Head with distaste. “Are you kidding me?” he asked.

Lily released his hand, whirling on him with a frown. “No, I’m not kidding,” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. “I love this place.” The Metamorphmagus almost laughed, because she had that same expression of outraged indignation that someone hadn’t understood the importance of something to her when she was a kid. Teddy made to tweak her on the nose but she ducked away, glaring. “Stop doing that! I’m not eight, I’m eighteen.”

Teddy did laugh now. “Of course, Lily, but you’re still always going to just be Little Lily to me.”

The redheaded witch sneered at him. “Then you can go fuck yourself, Lupin,” she grouched, pushing her way into the pub, which had recently been bought by newcomers to Hogsmeade and given a modernization within, while still retaining the rustic feel of Aberforth Dumbledore’s pub. He sighed and followed her inside, sitting down across from her at a little two person table off to one side. “Don’t worry, sir, I’m not a lost child or a Hogwarts runaway, there’s no need to sit at my table or chaperone,” she said acidly. Teddy snorted.

“Don’t kid yourself, Potter,” he said when she shot him a dirty look. “I’m not saying no to a free breakfast.” After consulting the menu, he ordered French toast and eggs, and Lily ordered, without bothering to look at a menu, the shortstack of blueberry pancakes. “So what’s new with you really then?” Teddy asked after the food arrived and they’d exhausted polite small talk.

Lily frowned. “What d’you mean?” She cut a large bite of pancake with her fork and shovelled it in.

“What do you even do? Aren’t you a waitress or something?” His curiosity was piqued when she blushed, looking down at her breakfast as she chewed slowly, clearly trying to think how to phrase something delicate.

“I’m not a waitress anymore,” she said at last after swallowing, but gave nothing else. Teddy frowned.

“Did you get fired?” he asked, a piece of French toast halfway to his mouth, syrup dripping off his fork.

“Not exactly,” Lily said vaguely. “I work at the same place, but I’m in Public Relations now.”

Teddy frowned at that. “What does that mean?” he demanded. His gut, which he trusted as an Auror every day he was out in the field, dealing with the most precarious situations, tingled in a way he didn’t like. As if Lily was hiding something important.

She glared. “It means I’m not a waitress and I work the PR side of the business now,” she repeated crisply. “How about you?” she added, cutting another, smaller bite of pancake, forking it in and chewing mechanically. “How’s the Auror business?”

Teddy frowned but shrugged, eating some eggs. They were greasy and delicious, and, even though he hated himself for it, he found he liked them more than the healthy omelets Victoire whipped up. His frown deepened at that thought, but he pushed thoughts of his girlfriend aside. “Busy,” he replied automatically. “Always a crazy witch or wizard on the edge, doing something unthinkable.”

Her mouth quirked up despite his bitter tone. “Sounds like you love your job,” she replied, and ate some more food. “There has to be some good stuff, though, right?” Teddy knew Harry Potter hadn’t shielded his children from the truth of the war he’d fought in, or the very real horrors of his profession, and sighed.

It would be nice to unload on her, but that wouldn’t be fitting. He couldn’t tell her there wasn’t much satisfaction in busting things like illegal potions trading, where sometimes the trade was for human beings. Sedated or Obliviated Muggles who’d be sold into sex trade and lost forever. Teddy couldn’t reveal the heartbreak he felt seeing a wizard or witch holding their own child as a hostage to avoid going to Azkaban, threatening to kill their own flesh and blood while under the influence or mentally unstable. And the Metamorphmagus was certain he couldn’t ever relate the ungodly pain and bleak depression that followed finding out a kidnapping victim had been murdered because he and his team were too late.

“It has its moments,” he said fairly. Because there had been, in all his years as an Auror, some good moments.

“Like what?” Lily pushed. “Dad never talks about shit that’s not about something kind of sad. I want to hear one upside to being an Auror.” She cut another big bite and crammed it in. “Well?” she asked, mouth full.

Teddy smirked, because she looked ridiculous with her fork poised and expectant expression, chewing a too big mouthful. “This one time we had a call about an abduction,” he said, not knowing why he was repeating this, because it was strictly classified, and he hadn’t told anyone, including Victoire, about it. “This nut case grabbed a little girl, she was about six I think, from Diagon Alley when she was with her parents and older siblings, shopping for Hogwarts.” He swallowed thickly. “She saved herself, really,” he said after a moment, trying to compartmentalize his emotions. “When the guy grabbed her she put up a big fight, kicking and flailing, and started screaming. We found her in a crowd in seconds because she screamed.” He pointedly didn’t add if she hadn’t, she’d have been lost for sure.

When Teddy glanced up, Lily was staring at him, mouth parted slightly. “And then what happened?” she murmured.

“She bit the guy, he dropped her, and one of us got the guy with a Stunner.” He felt an odd sense of relief when Lily smiled hugely at that.

“That’s awesome,” she said softly, and beamed. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Teddy’s mouth smiled, but inside he felt kind of hollow. Because that brief flash of relief from having told someone else, someone who hadn’t been there that day, about what had happened, had now turned into guilt. Because he knew that three years later, after the nut job had served his term in Azkaban, he’d found the girl and slit her throat. “And now you look even more miserable than ever,” she said and Teddy glanced up, once more, forcibly, reminded of the whore he’d spent the night with, when Lily smirked at him. Something in the tilt of her mouth, and perhaps the air of smug knowledge she could read him.

“Not every story has a happy ending,” he said darkly, and ate some more eggs without tasting them. “And in my line of work you find out quick the bad far outweighs the good.”

The redhead frowned. “Then why do it?” she asked. Teddy grimaced.

Victoire had asked him the same thing a thousand times, and the response sprang automatically to his lips. “Because there’s still the good.”

Lily scoffed. “Bullshit,” she said. “The real reason?”

Teddy frowned, feeling nettled by her probing and her obvious disbelief of his standardized response. And, in a moment of frustration that she was all but interrogating him, he snapped, “Because there’s always the thrill of Stunning some sonofabitch in the chest when he’s waving a wand at you and the adrenaline rush of knowing it’s just you versus someone trying to kill you is a tiny bit addicting, I suppose.”

“Ah, and there we have it. You do it because you get to kick ass and do crazy shit, which you secretly kind of like, because you’re an adrenaline junkie.” She laughed a little and mock scolded him with soft, motherly clucking. “Tsk tsk, Teddy Lupin. You’re a thrillseeker.”

He arched a colourful brow. “I suppose compared to you I must be.”

Lily grinned mysteriously. “You must be,” she said, but there was a definite hint of sarcasm there. “No mystery or intrigue or danger with my line of work.”

“Which is what line, precisely?” he pressed and Lily shrugged, drinking her coffee.

“The line that’s for me to know and you to wonder about,” she shot back automatically, and he rolled his eyes at the childish response, even as his mouth tugged up into an unwilling smile. Typical Little Lily to be secretive and private. As he recalled, she’d been awfully introverted as a young teen, at least compared to the teenaged girls he’d had experience with, and he’d assumed like everyone else she’d just been awkward and nerdy, and as she’d always been that way, he’d never bothered to get to know her properly. That thought made him frown. Why hadn’t he done that, exactly? He knew James and Albus well enough, didn’t he? How come he never bothered to befriend Little Lily?

“You’re a mystery, Little Lily,” he said, and she smirked.

“That’s me,” she said playfully. “A mystery wrapped in an enigma. Boring old Lily Potter.” She laughed a little, as if to herself. “I’d still rather hear about what you do. Even if it’s gruesome.”

Teddy titled his head a little at that. “You hate your job that much?”

Lily shrugged. “I don’t hate it, it’s just…” She sighed. “It’s kind of just the same thing, over and over, and anytime something comes along to break the monotony, you know it’s never going to last.”

The Metamorphmagus frowned. “Then why do it?” he asked.

Lily grinned a little at that. “What is this, payback?” she teased. Teddy shrugged. “I guess I do it because I’m not really any good at anything else, at least anything that pays,” she sighed, and put her chin in her hand, resting her elbow on the table.

Teddy leaned forward and tucked some hair that had escaped her bun behind her ear. “It can’t be so bad as that, Lily,” he murmured.

“Oh, it is,” she grumbled. “But it’s whatever. I guess I’m used to it,” she said blandly. “Anyway, it’s not forever, so I can deal.”

Teddy smirked. “What does that mean, it’s not forever?”

Lily grinned. “Someday I’ll have enough money saved up and be able to do what I really want. Someday,” she said fondly, and ate the last of her pancakes.

Teddy finished his own meal, and when the check came, Lily reached for her money bag, but Teddy snatched the slip of parchment up and filled out his Gringotts’ information. “I thought you said I was paying?” she teased.

“I did, but then you mentioned saving money, and I felt bad.” Teddy felt his brows lift as the truth slipped from him without warning, and Lily smiled.

“Thanks,” she said lightly, and they headed out of the Hog’s Head. After the door swung shut behind them, Lily reached up and undid her hair from it’s bun, and Teddy felt his mouth parting as the damp, dark red waves fell around her shoulders and down her back as she shook her head. And then her mouth tilted in that coy, amused half smile that sealed the deal, even though it wasn’t painted red and he could see her face and the look of decidedly amused condescension that went with it this time. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Lupin,” she teased lightly, and Teddy’s brows lifted even more.

“Not a ghost,” he said softly, feeling like he’d just been Stunned. “Where did you say you worked again?” he asked stupidly.

Lily frowned. “I didn’t,” she replied tartly. “Because it’s none of your business,” she added firmly.

“That’s funny, because you look just like-” Teddy caught himself in time, just before he admitted to Little Lily, the woman who may or may not, dear Merlin, he hoped not, be the same woman he thought she was.

“I look just like what?” she asked, looking impatient and adorable. Teddy sighed.

“You look like someone I know who has a very disreputable occupation,” he said sternly. “Please tell me that’s not you, Lily,” he said, half pleading.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said imperiously, but Teddy noticed she avoided his eyes. “My job is perfectly reputable, and I’m not talking about this anymore.” She smiled woodenly. “Goodbye, Teddy,” she said lightly, and turned to march away.

“Just tell me you’re not Blossom,” he said sternly, and she faltered, then turned back guiltily, even as his stomach sank to his toes. “You are,” he said hoarsely. It was obvious in her defensive posture, the guilty dart of her eyes away from his when he met them, and the startled, deer in the headlights expression all over her face.

“How did you find out and who have you told?” she demanded, suddenly looking furious. Teddy tried not to notice that anger suited her wonderfully, but it was difficult. She was all heaving chest and glinting hazel eyes. “Tell me!”

“I haven’t told anyone,” he answered truthfully. He gulped. _Fuck, I just found out myself_.

“How do you know?” she hissed. “I swear to Godric, Teddy, whether you’re like my god brother or whatever, or Auror, or not, I’ll curse you into next week if you tell anyone.”

Teddy blinked at the hostility. “I won’t tell anyone,” he promised.

“So how do you know?” she demanded for a third time and he gulped.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Lily sneered. “Try me,” she snapped.

Teddy swallowed thickly again and cleared his throat, trying to summon his flagging courage. “I know because…” He cleared his throat again. “Because I…”

Lily sighed. “Spit it out, Teddy!”

“I know because I was one of your customers,” he said softly.

Lily froze, looking as if she’d just been Stunned. “What?” she whispered.

Teddy swallowed and nodded. “If you’re Blossom, I’m that guy you thought you might have met before,” Teddy said without thinking and instantly regretted it as Lily’s eyes went huge.

“Oh my fucking Godric fucking Gryffindor,” she breathed. “No. No, no, no. This isn’t… Just, no. You can’t be…”

Teddy grimaced and in the blink of an eye Lily was staring at the man who’d come into the club and all but swept her off her feet. Almost. “This is my other persona. I like to call him Zed,” he said in that rough voice that had featured in all of her daydreams since first hearing it.

Lily shook her head again, and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “This can’t… You can’t…” She sucked in air, feeling dizzy. “No. You’re lying.”

His mouth curved. “Do you need more proof, sweetheart?” he growled, and Lily’s eyes widened impossibly more. “Why would I lie?” he demanded.

Lily felt tears threatening. “You’re a piece of shit,” she whispered, and Disapparated home, feeling on the edge. She’d slept with Teddy Lupin. In disguise, to her credit, but still. She’d fucked the shit out of, or rather, had the shit fucked out of her by, Teddy fucking Lupin. She wanted to die from embarrassment. The redhead had never thought, in the year she’d worked at the club, that she’d ever end up seeing someone she knew outside the place. She’d figured anyone in her family would be far too stuffy and high brow for that sort of thing. And anyone from school she’d be able to avoid, if she so chose, or remain anonymous to, like Malfoy.

But apparently not Lupin! Of all fucking people! She frowned, pacing her little flat, hungry but knowing there was nothing to eat, grouchy because Teddy had conned her. When he’d just been that nameless guy who’d been an amazing lay, Lily could pretend something could come of it. But nothing whatsoever could happen with her and Teddy. Not with him half engaged to her cousin. And now she was denied even the simple pleasure of her private fantasy with a nameless man who could be her Prince Charming.

Lily blew out a sigh and moved into her bedroom, getting undressed, kicking a pile of dirty laundry aside, and sighing again. Stupid fucking Teddy Lupin, this was all his fault! Him and his other stupid persona, Zed. That bloody tosser! But no matter how mad she was, or how upset she felt, Lily couldn’t deny, that if that really had been Teddy, Vic was a fucking idiot, because if he had to go looking elsewhere, chances were he wasn’t getting it at home. And quite honestly, Lily couldn’t fathom why on earth any woman with a functioning sex drive wouldn’t have Teddy, and his magnificent body and bedroom skills, shackled to her bed every night.

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

XXX

A week after his disastrous breakfast with Lily Potter, that he supposed had only been disastrous _after_ breakfast, Teddy Lupin was in his office going over reports when a message flew in and landed gracefully on his desk.

“Urgent,” it said as he unfolded it. “This message is not from a Ministry employee and may not be suitable for the workplace.”

Teddy glanced around at the empty office. “We’re good,” he murmured.

The letter opened and Teddy saw, right away, it was from Victoire. She said she would be staying with her sister and Josh and the baby as long as she was needed, at least two weeks, the baby and her sister were doing great, and the little bundle had been named Victoria, in homage to her, for which she was thrilled. Teddy noticed there was no mention of their weekend, no questions about him, and frowned. _Is that what it would be like if we had our own baby_?

He rubbed a hand over his face and sat back at his messy desk and, as she’d had the habit of doing whenever he let his guard down, Little Lily Potter, only not so little, strut into his mind with her long, flawless legs and enticing mane of soft burgundy hair. The sultry curve of her mouth, the way her eyes had blazed in anger, and, most of all, the perfect way she’d screamed for him in the throes of ecstasy. _Fucking Merlin_! He shifted in his chair, half hard, hating himself. It was certainly wrong to think of Lily in _that_ sense, wasn’t it? Hell, she was practically his little sister!

 _Except she’s not your sister, and she’s not little, and she’s probably the best lay of your entire fucking life._ He shook his head, trying to clear the traitorous thoughts from his mind. _Face it Ted. Lily, Blossom, whoever she is, is bothering you so much because she’s exactly what you want._ No! That couldn’t be true, could it? _Of course it is. Look at her. She’s a vixen. Godric, she makes a living from it, doesn’t she? What the hell does Vic have that she couldn’t give you_?

Teddy got up from his desk, pushing the confused thoughts aside. Just because Lily was technically a whore, and he’d pleasured himself with her, on more than one occasion, vigorously and thoroughly, and just because he couldn’t stop thinking about it, wanting to do it again, did _not_ mean he would. Because he wouldn’t. He _wouldn’t_. That would be all sorts of wrong.

He slipped his robes over his arm and headed out of the Ministry into the deepening night, struck with the urge to go to that silly escort club again. He wanted to find Lily, to save her from that fate. But it was a fate she’d obviously chosen for herself, and Teddy grit his teeth, because he couldn’t stop her. It shouldn’t matter to him if Lily fucked lonely wizards for a living. Even if he’d been one of them. It wasn’t going to happen again, so he wasn’t going to trouble himself over it. He had better things to worry about anyway.

He Apparated home, to his flat, and unlocked the door on autopilot, tossing his robes onto the chair, going to the kitchen for a beer. Only as he stood up out of the fridge did Teddy realize that Lily was sitting on his couch, looking nervous and determined. Teddy felt his brows shoot up. “No wonder you haven’t settled down if you can’t even be bothered to come home at a decent hour,” the redhead said archly, crossing her long legs. Teddy frowned, putting a firm lid on his libido, which had lead him, dick first, into enough trouble lately already.

“What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly.

Lily’s mouth hardened. “I wanted to talk to you,” she said. “About...y’know.”

Teddy Summoned a second beer from the fridge and handed it to the redhead who looked a little surprised. “You’re seventeen, relax, Potter,” he grouched, sitting on the far end of the couch.

“I’m eighteen,” she said firmly. Teddy rolled amber eyes.

“My bad,” he snarked, in a thoroughly bad mood. He didn’t like that she was just sitting there on his couch, cool as a fucking cucumber, demanding they ‘talk’ about the one thing he’d rather never mention again. She sent him a narrow eyed look.

“What’s got your knickers in a twist? Just realizing you fucked up pretty fucking bad, Lupin, or what?”

Teddy’s lip curled. “Fuck you, Lily,” he said with venom, disgusted and aroused equally by remembering the sex and knowing now that had been Little Lily all along. She flinched backward at his tone and then smiled seductively, turning to rest one elbow on the back of his couch, putting her head in her hand and tilting it to look at him.

“Ah, so that’s it, then,” she said softly. “No more outlet for all that sexual tension, Lupin?” she pushed. “Godric forbid you take advantage of a warm, willing body now you know the face under the mask, right?”

Teddy’s beer bottle paused against his mouth, half tilted up. “Unlike some, I’m not a complete fucking idiot, Potter. We both know that can’t happen again.”

Lily shifted, almost as if she was uncomfortable, but then her mouth curved up again. Teddy noticed it was red again, and wondered if she was on her way to work. The thought made his temper flare dangerously. “Of course not,” she said softly. “I’d hate to bankrupt you.”

He shot her a filthy look. “And you,” he said with disgust. “You should be just as fucking ashamed of yourself as I am,” he spat. “Godric, if your parents knew, Lily-”

“Yeah, yeah, they’d probably flip,” she cut across him, sounding bored. “Blah, blah, blah, whatever,” she said rolling her eyes, and set her unopened beer on the coffee table. “I just wanted to make sure you’re cool, because you seemed like you weren’t in Hogsmeade,” she said blandly as she got up. “I don’t feel like staying for the moral lecture. Bye.” She moved toward the fireplace, giving him that coy, condescending smirk again. “Y’know, I honestly wouldn’t have expected that speech from you, Teddy. I thought you were a thrillseeker, too. Guess I was wrong.”

She reached for a handful of Floo powder, but Teddy was up off the couch, grabbing her wrist. “What the hell does that mean?” he demanded before she could disappear.

She wrenched herself free of him, turning to glare, those lovely hazel eyes glittering with her fury. “It means you risk your own neck for the thrill of dueling psychos, Teddy. You do the shittiest job there is, one that will make you an emotional cripple someday, all because of the adrenaline rush that comes from beating some nutjob to Avada Kedavra you! How can you sit there and judge me on what I do?”

“You fuck men for a living, Lily,” he said, lip curling. “That’s a world of difference.”

“And I’m damn good at it, you fucking asshole!” She shoved him, her fistful of Floo powder flying and making a mess. “And there’s not a whole lot of difference, except my life expectancy is a helluva lot better than yours, Teddy! You know why I really do what I do? Because when I have those fuckers eating out my hand, begging for me to finish them off, it doesn’t matter that I’m a faceless whore. I’ve had politicians and famous Quidditch players on their fucking knees for me, begging and pleading for _me_. You wanna talk about getting hooked on the thrill? I can promise you, your thrills are for the faint hearted, sweetheart.”

“Ah, and there it is,” he mocked coldly. “You’re a lush for the power you know you have over men, aren’t you, Little Lily?” He made a ‘tsk’ing noise. “You probably get your jollies pushing any man who can afford you to the edge of insanity with wanting, don’t you? You’re almost batting a thousand for checking off all seven deadly sins with that one.” His tone smacked of mild distaste, and his smug, condescending half smile snapped her control.

The redhead felt her temper blaze out of control, and before she could think, she reached up to slap him across the face. She’d honestly just come because she’d felt bad that Teddy had seemed so shocked and horrified it was her he’d slept with. And while she was upset and angry that her delightful fantasy had been shattered, Lily had realized he might actually not be okay with finding out it was her under the mask. After all, it wasn’t every day, obviously, he had that kind of sex with the younger cousins of his girlfriend. At least she hoped not. But this was how she was getting repaid for her kindness? A surly, grouchy Teddy who seemed less okay than ever, judging her and talking down to her? Oh hell no.

He caught her hand before she could strike him, amber eyes blazing furiously, and just when Lily felt a sliver of fear, that she’d pushed him too far and he might snap, he hauled her up against himself, and the next thing she knew, he was snogging her senseless, hands buried in her hair, tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Lily was so shocked, for a beat she relaxed into him, mouth moving sensually with his, groaning low and needy in the back of her throat, and pressing up into his solid warmth.

And then, like a glistening soap bubble, the euphoric moment shattered, and Lily shoved Teddy back abruptly. “What are you doing?” she panted, voice wavering with emotions that tumbled over one another and through the redhead too fast to stick, too unruly to examine. Lust, anger, guilt, jealousy, arousal, loathing, all churning in her mind.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, pushing a hand through his hair and looking at her. “Fuck, I don’t know,” he groaned, and moved toward her again, pulling her close, burying his face in her neck and breathing deep the scent of her perfume. He bit her softly. “I can’t stop fucking thinking about you. Even before I knew it was you. You’re driving me fucking insane,” he rumbled, and kissed the bite mark on her neck.

“We can’t do this,” she whispered, even as she clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders, one thigh lifting in supplication against his hip.

“Fuck, I know,” he grunted. Teddy knew this, truly he did, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He wanted to drown his feelings in the soft warmth of the whore he’d fucked senseless. The woman who stood now in the sitting room of his flat, looking up at him with wide hazel eyes, fringed with dark lashes. Blossom. Lily. Fuck, whoever she was, he _needed_ her. “But I really want to do it anyway,” he groaned, and kissed her again.

She all but clawed her way up against him, snogging back messily, tugging his hair. “Me too,” she breathed as he held her greedily, kissing and biting his way roughly down her neck. And when she moaned, grinding herself against his rock hard cock straining against his pants, Teddy was lost. It was wrong, it would make him a piece of shit even more so than he already was, if that was even possible at that point, and the reasonable, logical portion of Teddy knew it. And yet he didn’t quite feel bad for it.

Because he hauled Lily up against himself properly and carried her into the bedroom even though he knew it was wrong. And he kissed her, and licked her, and bit her, all while stripping the clothes from her luscious body, knowing the entire time it was wrong. But when he stripped his own clothes hurriedly and pushed into her hot, perfect, molten pussy, feeling Lily arching and writhing, pinned beneath him, it felt so perfectly right and fantastically good, he didn’t care if it was wrong. So he fucked her into screaming incoherency and reveled in the feel of her coming around him, scratching his back with her nails, biting his shoulder to muffle her squeals of pleasure. And when he felt himself coming after her, he didn’t hold back, pulling ruthlessly on her hair and biting her neck hard enough to bruise, all but growling her name as completion broke over him.

Some time later, Teddy rolled over and saw Lily lying, arms wrapped around herself, staring up at the ceiling. Automatically he pulled her closer, even though she laid stiff in his embrace. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but he had a pretty good feeling he knew what. He felt her shift slightly. “Is it like that with...her?” she asked quietly.

Teddy grit his teeth. He did _not_ want to answer that question, but now that he knew her, he couldn’t bring himself to reject Little Lily. Blossom, the faceless whore, sure, no problem. But not Lily. “No,” he said simply.

The redhead moved against him, fitting herself to him, and glanced up through her mascara heavy lashes. “Do you want me to leave?” she asked even softer.

Teddy didn’t hesitate this time. “No,” he said, rolling her over onto her back and moving atop her. He was already half hard again. His fingers teased between her legs, enjoying the way her mouth parted on a gasp. “Do you want to leave?” he rumbled. “Or would you rather stay and be the warm, willing outlet for my sexual frustration?”

Her mouth went thin at that and Lily sat up, pushing him back, but to his delight, she climbed right up onto his lap, grinding her wetness against his prick. “I’ll stay, but I think it’s time we find a new thrill for you, Lupin.”

The next morning came far too early for Lily, who groaned as she rolled over into solid male warmth. Startled, her eyes flew open, and the previous night came rushing back. Teddy. _Oh Godric, what the bleeding fuck are you doing_!? His arm moved around her waist, pulling her naked form closer, but Lily tried to ease away. His arm tightened.

“No,” he mumbled. “Don’t go yet.”

Lily froze, hoping he was dreaming. “I have to go, it’s morning,” she said weakly, and resumed trying to ease her way out of bed. Teddy pulled her flush to him, and Lily blushed in the soft morning sunlight as his erection pressed into her belly.

“Stay, sweetheart. You still owe me that blowjob.”

Lily gulped, blushing more. She had, indeed, promised him copious amounts of blowjobs last night, when he’d gotten her to the brink of coming and kept her there, licking and nipping playfully between her legs and making her promise everything he’d asked for just to get off. Which, she reckoned, had almost been worth it, because he had a _very_ talented mouth. “Raincheck,” she squeaked, and made a last ditch effort to be a decent human being, even as her body betrayed her. Teddy’s hand smoothed up her back, then down, over her buttocks, grabbing one cheek and spreading her.

“No rainchecks,” he rumbled, and at last opened his eyes, smirking. “You owe me, sweetheart.” He rolled onto his back, putting both arms behind his head. “And make it good.”

Lily grunted, feeling a blast of desire as her eyes devoured him in his naked glory, stretched like a sleepy cat in the sun. She supposed, being a Metamorphmagus, Teddy could look however he pleased, but Lily had to admit, even if he was trying, he looked damn fucking good naked. All hard and lean, solid and angular, his proud erection lying on his belly drawing her gaze. She sat up, then moved over him, pressing her mouth to the sensitive flesh just inside his hip, grazing it with her teeth. “Puh-lease, sweetheart, it’ll be better than good.”

She sucked him off, tossing her hair and moaning, making Teddy grit his teeth until he couldn’t take it a second longer and pulled her forcefully away. “Fuck, you’re so much better than good,” he grunted, and sat her down roughly on his prick.

She huffed out a raspy moan. “Ooh, yeah I am,” she moaned, riding him slow and deep. “And you’re fucking great, sweetheart. _Yes_!”

Teddy grasped her hips, thrusting up into her hard again, loving her moans and the way her breasts bounced and jiggled enticingly for him, and knew he’d never last. He set a fast pace, making her bounce and moan raggedly atop him, and stroked her clit, hard and fast. “Come on, sweetheart, I want you to come for me,” he grunted. Lily moaned loud. “Yeah, tell me you want it. Come for me.”

“Yes, _ooh, fuck yes_ , I want it!” she cried, bouncing of her own accord on his dick now, riding him aggressively, greedy for release.

“Take it, naughty girl,” he grunted, forcing her to move faster still, feeling his orgasm building out of control. “Unh, fuck yeah, Lily, take it.”

“Yes!” she moaned, “ _Oh fuck, Teddy, yes_!” And then she was coming all over him, milking him as he lost it with her, arching and thrusting deep as he spilled himself in her. They lay, catching their breath, for some time, and then she eased herself off of him, sprawling naked in his bed on her back. Teddy rolled to his side, watching her gulp, eyes closing briefly. “It’s not like that with anyone else for me either,” she said softly, and then rolled away from him, sitting up. Teddy frowned, colourful brows drawing together. “I should go,” she said, pushing a hand through her hair.

Teddy all but scowled at that, because he didn’t _want_ her to go, or put clothes on like she was doing, and although he hated himself all the more for it, he couldn’t help but want to know when he could see her again. But he couldn’t ask her that, and he couldn’t think of any reason for her to stay. “Okay,” he grumbled instead.

Lily smirked at him over her shoulder, tugging her pretty little dress into place. “You’re a shit liar,” she said. “I thought you Aurors were supposed to be good at that?” She Summoned her handbag from the sitting room. “If it’s not okay, don’t tell me okay, Teddy,” she said lightly, and her smirk widened. “See you around.”

And before he could say or do anything, she strode out of his bedroom and he heard his front door open and close, reminding him forcefully of when she’d slipped out as the faceless whore. Blossom. But this time she was Lily, and the feeling of grumpy outrage overwhelmed him. “Fuck!” he barked, pissed off she’d just up and left after last night, furious that he was pissed, because he was fucking around on Victoire, with her youngest cousin no less, and now he was doing it with full knowledge of just who she was and, possibly, liking it all the more.

He shoved both hands roughly through his hair and got up to shower. _Well either way, you’re fucked twelve ways to Sunday, Lupin. Might as well enjoy the one-way ticket to Hell, right_?

It was three days until he saw Lily again. Three long, agonizing days where she consumed his thoughts and distracted him from concentrating on anything but the memory of her. And, to his utter horror, when he _did_ see her again, it was as she sat down, out of breath and very nearly late, directly across from him at her parents’ dinner table for Sunday dinner. Her long hair was down and curled, lashes thick with mascara and eyes lined in black, but her mouth was it’s natural soft pink still. Teddy looked down, trying not to think it was almost the same shade of pink as her plump, perky nipples.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said to her mother, accepting a bowl of potatoes.

“Not late, honey,” Ginny said pleasantly. “Teddy just got here as well,” she added, and Lily looked across at him with the briefest of glances. He felt his temper rear at the dismissal.

“Oh, lucky me then,” she said.

“Are you late because you were busy tarting yourself all up?” Albus teased from down the table.

Lily stuck her tongue out at him, brushing her hair off her shoulders. “No,” she said pointedly.

“You look very pretty, honey,” Harry said dutifully.

“For a tart,” James teased, snickering, and Lily rolled her eyes.

“Are you going on a date, honey?” Ginny asked and Teddy smirked as Lily blushed.

“Um,” she said softly, looking away. “I guess you could say I have a date,” she murmured. Teddy frowned because he knew what that meant. She’d be looking for a paying date to take into a room and have her way with. Looking for the next rush of power, he supposed.

“With who?” he challenged, and Lily looked at him properly for the first time, leaning both elbows on the table, smiling sweetly.

“Oh, I’m sure you know already. It’s none of your damn business, Lupin,” she said sweetly, and Teddy grinned.

“Lily, language!” Ginny chided. “And don’t be so mean to Teddy, he’s just asking the question we all want to ask.”

“I personally don’t care, just for the record,” Albus inserted.

“Of course you do, dolt,” James sighed, rolling his eyes. “Imagine it’s some troll who wants to mess around on Lily,” he said. “You’d want to curse him silly.”

“ _Not_ that you would,” Harry said sternly.

Teddy smirked at the young redheaded witch. “See? _Everyone_ wants to know, Little Lily.”

She glared. “Well when it becomes _everyone’s_ business, you’ll all be the first to know.”

“I think Jamie makes a valid point about you possibly dating a loser.”

“To clarify, I said a guy who messes with you, Lil,” James added as Lily folded her arms.

“And if he messes around with her, that makes him a loser,” Albus explained dryly.

“I don’t pick losers,” she snapped.

“Well, honey, whoever you pick,” Ginny said firmly, “you should bring him home to meet us one of these times!”

Lily snorted. “That wouldn’t go over so well.”

“Wouldn’t it? Why ever not, Lily?” Teddy teased. “If they’re decent, upstanding citizens, I’m sure your parents and brothers will _adore_ any wizards you sink your claws into.” He felt a flicker of arousal as she licked her lips at the mention of claws. He’d discovered the morning she’d left that she’d done quite a good number on his back.

Albus and James snickered. “Maybe,” Lily said darkly. “Then again, imagine how pissed they’d be if we all found out he was like, oh I dunno, seeing someone else or something.” She tossed her hair and smiled sweetly again as her brothers stopped laughing.

“Any guy who fucks around on you would get his,” Albus said loyally, and Harry frowned.

“Language, Albus!” Ginny snapped.

Teddy narrowed his eyes. “I imagine that guy would have to be pretty smart to get out of that one intact,” he said.

Lily shrugged, covering her chicken and potatoes in gravy. “I don’t think they make men that smart,” she said crisply, and proceeded to ignore him for the rest of dinner, talking with her mother, at length, about Dominique’s new baby. Teddy gritted his teeth until the subject changed.

Lily left before he did, claiming her ‘date’, and hurried out as soon as she finished dessert. Teddy, feeling mutinous, left not too long after, heading back to the Ministry, telling himself firmly he couldn’t have her again. _Ever_. Lily Potter was strictly off limits. Even if he didn’t give a damn and wanted to have her again, lots, preferably regularly.

He immersed himself in reports, finally kicking the sexy redhead from his mind, and worked until the windows were black, even if it was just a charm, and when he got to his building in a quaint Muggle neighbourhood, Teddy noticed it was indeed dark. When he got up the stairs, he knew right away someone was in his apartment. When he got to the door, wand drawn, he was tensed, on red alert. If it was an intruder, he could handle that. He got inside and saw Lily reclining on his couch, watching Muggle telly, sipping a beer.

“You might seriously want to work on your home time. It’s a wonder Vic even wants to marry you, really. You’re already married to your job.” Teddy scowled at her. “And before you ask,” she said as he opened his mouth, “I’m here because we need to talk.”

The Metamorphmagus grinned. “Like how we talked last time?”

She frowned. “No,” she said firmly, even as Teddy felt his arousal flaring. He’d thought of her, and little else, and he wanted to slake his lust on her until she was out of his brain.

“So talk then,” he said, sitting beside her, plucking the beer from her grasp and drinking. “Go on, then.”

Her mouth pursed, brows drawing together. “I…” She hesitated, biting her lip, looking deceptively innocent and making Teddy’s lust spiral out of control. “If I was okay with it,” she said softly, not looking at him, “would you keep messing around on Vic...with me?”

Teddy wished she hadn’t asked. Wished they didn’t have to call this what it was. “I think you already know the answer to that,” he said roughly, putting the beer down on the coffee table.

She sucked in a breath. “And if I said you had to leave her to be with me?” she whispered.

Teddy looked away. “I think you know the answer to that, too,” he said gruffly, except he felt embarrassed, because in that moment, he himself _didn’t_ know the answer to that question. And that made him nervous.

“Right,” Lily said softly. Her mouth pursed. “And you?” she asked at last. “Would you want that?” she looked up at him through her darkly lined eyes, and Teddy swore he almost saw a flash of vulnerability. As if she honestly doubted any man with a functioning dick and eyeballs wouldn’t be attracted to her.

He took a swig of beer. “If you have to ask, then you’re not as perceptive as I thought,” he said.

“Maybe I just want to hear you say it,” she shot back. Teddy smirked.

“You’re asking me if I want to have my cake and devour it, too,” he said easily. “The answer is pretty obvious, Lily.”

The redhead pursed her mouth again. “No,” she said sternly, and he glanced across at her. “I’m asking if you’re a thrillseeker, Teddy. Do you want to take the risk with me and chase the high of the thrill?” She licked her lips nervously.

It occurred to Teddy in that moment that she stood to lose just as much, if not more, than even he did if they should choose to take the path that stretched before them together. If they did and Vic found out, he’d merely be single, and probably fall out with his godfather. She’d still be part of the Weasley family, who very well might turn their backs on her. She’d possibly lose her entire extended family, should they side with Victoire, and undoubtedly it would put a strain on her parents’ relationships with the Weasleys as well. Not to mention the awkward corner her brothers would be in.

And yet, despite all that, there she was, sitting on his couch, shoes kicked off and feet curled under her, looking thoroughly tarted up and expectant. “Well?” Lily demanded, and he was forcibly reminded of her demanding to hear a good point to being an Auror.

“Sure,” he said, condemning himself to the deepest circle of Hell, certainly. And to the very real chance of bodily injury should anyone ever find out. “I like a good adrenaline fix as much as the next wizard.”

Lily smiled slowly. “Oh no,” she purred, and climbed into his lap, taking his beer and draining it. The tiny black dress that exposed half her torso it was so low cut on the front rode up her hips as she rocked against him invitingly, tossing her soft cloud of burgundy hair. The scent of her perfume had him going hard. “I think you’ve got a taste for the extra-thrilling, Teddy,” she purred in that sultry bedroom voice.

He grunted as she rocked against him and nipped his lower lip. “Good thing you’re the right flavour,” he growled, burying both hands in her hair and pulling her down to kiss her thoroughly.

XXX

  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

XXX

One Month Later

Lily groaned as the bathroom door shut with a soft click behind them and then Teddy was shoving her up against the door, lifting her legs around him, pinning her with his pelvis. Their mouths met, hot and hungry, and Lily arched up into him, craving more, feeling a wicked thrill of delight at the risk of being caught red handed.

“Fuck you’re so good,” Teddy grunted in a whisper, pushing her dress up over her hips as she undid his belt. His hand moved to her hair, drawing a soft whimper of pleasure from her when he tugged. “Quietly,” he warned.

“Then don’t do that,” she shot back, and he grinned, brushing her negligible panties aside after she freed his cock. He muffled a groan of bliss in her neck as she stroked him teasingly, biting the tender, supple flesh greedily. She hissed, “That’s going to leave a mark!”

“Good,” he growled, fisting his hand in her hair and thrust hard up into her. They groaned in tandem, even as Teddy fought for control around the hot clench of her slick warmth. He squeezed her ass hard, loving her yelp. “Quiet,” he said again, and covered her mouth with his as he fucked her slow and deep up against the bathroom door at her parents’ house.

Lily moaned into his mouth, holding on for dear life, pushing a hand through his bright hair, grabbing tight when he rocked his hips, prick gliding purposefully over her g-spot. “Yes,” she gasped as his mouth broke away, biting and licking her throat as her head tilted back invitingly. “Yes, Teddy, _yes_ ,” she whispered as he moved faster.

“I said quietly,” he growled, tugging her hair and she had to bite back a loud moan, whining low in her throat instead. “Tell me you want to come for me, Lily,” he grunted in a rough whisper against her ear.

“Fuck, I want to come for you,” she panted, feeling her lust spiralling out of control. Her nails bit into him even through his t-shirt and she tried to hold in her sounds of ecstasy as he fucked her hard and fast and just perfectly against the bathroom door. “ _Please_ ,” she whimpered.

“Unh, fuck yes, sweetheart, come all over me,” he ground out, covering her mouth with his hand as he buried his face in her neck, muffling his own shout of completion as he bit her harder than ever, leaving a clear impression of his teeth. “Fuck,” he breathed in the aftermath, his lungs burning, heart threatening to pound right out of his chest.

Lily groaned as he withdrew, sagging against the door on trembling legs. “Yeah,” she murmured, righting her panties, pushing a hand through her thoroughly mussed hair. She felt the familiar mix of shame and guilt and anger and hurt churning in her belly, making her cheeks pink. “We can’t keep doing this,” she murmured.

Teddy, who had turned away to tuck himself back in, pushed a hand through his own hair and turned back. “I know,” he sighed. When he looked over at Lily, lips swollen from their kisses, her neck red and darkening where he’d bitten her, hair rumpled and dress wrinkled, he felt himself getting turned on all over again. “I can’t stop having you, though,” he murmured, moving to pull her close, kissing her gently.

Lily sighed, melting into him, arching and stretching against him like a cat seeking affection. “It’s not fair,” she said, although she knew what his response would be. They’d had this same conversation before.

“I’ll make it work, Lily, I promise,” he whispered into her hair, and she groaned, wanting to believe him so badly.

“I’m not going to wait around forever,” she said, and pulled back. Teddy pushed a hand through his hair again, sighing.

“I know,” he said. She went to the mirror, pulling her wand out of her pocket and fixing her hair, then made to Vanish the bite marks. “I hate when you do that,” he said, feeling nettled.

She arched a brow at him through the mirror. “Then tell me what I’m supposed to tell my entire family when they ask who gave them to me since they last saw me twenty minutes ago,” she snapped. Teddy went to the door, rubbing a hand over his face.

“You could tell them it’s none of their damn business,” he shot back moodily.

Lily snorted. “Unless Victoire asks, of course,” she threw out as he made to open the door. “Then it kind of is, Teddy.” The Metamorphmagus looked away and exited the bathroom, feeling like an all around, complete piece of shit.

Not only was he a piece of shit for fucking around on his girlfriend, _still_ , but he’d just done so at his god brother’s engagement party, with said god brother’s younger sister no less, who happened to be his girlfriend’s youngest cousin. And now he’d gone and pissed off said other woman by making false promises about him having the situation under control when he didn’t have control of shit. The only reason, he was fairly positive, Vic didn’t suspect anything yet was because she was still in Baby Mode, despite having been politely kicked out by her sister a week ago after two weeks had turned into a month stay after the baby was born. _Yup, all around shitty human being. Great work, Lupin_.

He got back downstairs and went out into the garden, in search of said girlfriend, because he had to admit, things couldn’t go on the way they were anymore. He’d stood up Victoire once already to be with Lily, and jilted the redhead at least three times when Victoire unexpectedly showed up to collect him from work.

She was sitting with her cousin Lucy on the little bench under the apple tree. “Hey,” she said softly, looking up at him and frowning ever so slightly at him. “What’s up?” she asked. “You look all...rumpled.”

Teddy pushed a hand through his hair, glancing pointedly at Lucy. “Can I talk to you for a second, Vic?” he asked. “Alone?” Lucy finally got the hint and got up, going back inside.

“What’s wrong, Ted?” Victoire asked seriously, taking his hand. Teddy couldn’t meet her eyes, but sat beside her on the bench.

“I think we need to...talk.”

Victoire was quiet for a moment where he tried to summon the courage to look at her. “You’re right,” she said after a beat. “We do.”

Teddy felt himself tense up at her businesslike tone. “You go first,” he said, chickening out, and peeked up. Victoire looked determined.

“Okay,” she said. “What are we doing, Ted?” she asked.

He blinked. “Uh…talking?”

“Seriously, what are we doing?” she asked. “I’m not going to wait around forever for you to figure out whatever it is you need to figure out. I mean, I get it, I had to get my career sorted, and you had to get yours sorted, and we needed to be mature, but honestly, Teddy, I thought we’d be married by now.”

Teddy felt all the wind go out of his sails. _This again_? “So what are you saying?” he asked.

“I’m saying I want to know, for sure, when it’s going to happen, if it ever is.” Teddy looked at her, her lovely face set, blue eyes hard. “When are you going to propose, or are you ever?”

“I…” Teddy faltered, because he had no idea when he would propose, and honestly, didn’t really think on it anymore. Not since…

“I’m going to guess that means never,” Victoire said coolly. She folded her arms, setting her mouth.

“Vic, I’m not ready for that,” he said automatically.

“Okay,” she said easily. “Then I want us to move in together and try to have a baby.”

Teddy gaped. “What?” he said weakly.

Victoire looked down, as if doubting herself for a moment, then up at him again. “I told you, I’m not going to wait around forever. If you don’t want to get married, Ted, fine. We won’t get married. But if that’s the case, I want us to be a family. And families live together and have children.”

He instantly felt offended at her tone. The one that said the third, unspoken option was she find someone who wanted those things too. “Vic,” he said, “we’re still young. We’re not even thirty. Why do we have to rush into all this right now?” he asked.

Victoire frowned. “Because Dom is married and has a baby. Molly and Lucy are both married and Lucy was just telling me she thinks she might be pregnant too.” Teddy felt his mouth drop open. “And now little James Potter is freaking engaged, and little Rose is getting married in the fall!”

“So?” Teddy demanded. “That’s because they’re ready for that shit!” he grumbled.

Victoire glared furiously, tears sparkling in her eyes. “I’m ready for that shit too, Teddy! Godric, I’m the oldest Weasley cousin and I’m _still_ not married or knocked up, just like Little Lily said, even though I’ve been dating the same guy since I was seventeen!”

“This isn’t fair, you can’t put this all on me,” Teddy said. “It’s not my fault I’m not ready.”

Victoire looked sad, a tear dripping down her cheek. “I know it’s not, but I _am_ ready. I’ve been ready for awhile, and I don’t want to wait forever for you to be ready with me. So what are we doing, Ted?”

“I don’t know,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Victoire pursed her mouth and sniffled a little. “So what did you want to talk about?” she whispered after a slightly awkward moment. Teddy’s heart plummeted to his toes with his stomach.

“Well,” he mumbled, feeling like he might throw up. _Godric what is wrong with me? I’m an Auror for Merlin’s sake_! “Honestly?” he asked, and looked at Vic, sitting beside him, hands folded demurely in her lap, eyes sad, mouth turned down slightly. She nodded solemnly, looking like she had no idea whatsoever could possibly be worse than talking about him not being ready for marriage and babies and her being past ready. “I figured we should talk about what we’re doing too,” he said and Victoire looked confused. Teddy swallowed. It was now or never.

And then he thought about where they were. This was James’s engagement party. A time of happy celebration, not a time for him to ruin the party by telling his lovely, wonderful, ready to settle down and be with him forever more girlfriend that he’d been fucking her youngest cousin for a month. Or that he wanted to continue fucking said cousin, because she was a much better lay than his lovely, ready to settle down girlfriend. And he definitely didn’t want to create a big scene and ruin James Potter’s happy occasion by telling Vic he’d, startlingly, thought about commitment and things like the M-word in regards to Lily.

No, now would be an awful time to tell her. It would ruin everyone’s day, not just hers. And that wouldn’t be fair to Lily either, to out her like that in front of her whole family and watch lines be drawn in the sand between family members. So Teddy shook his head and took the coward’s way out. “I’m going on a mission next week,” he told Victoire, which wasn’t strictly a lie. It wasn’t an out of town mission, but he planned to stay at Lily’s with her those nights, and knew it would be easier to cover his tracks if Vic simply thought him gone on business. “I’ll be gone five nights, Monday through to Saturday morning. I think… I think we should talk more then.”

Victoire nodded. “Okay,” she said softly, and reached for his hand again. “I want to make this work, Teddy, and I know you need time.”

He pulled her close and stroked her smooth hair. “Me too,” he mumbled. “And I know you’re running out of it.”

“Thank you,” she said, and kissed him on the cheek, then stood and looked back up to the house. “Come on, I think they’re serving dinner now.” He felt impossibly guilty as she took his hand, but didn’t pull away until they sat down, feeling Lily’s eyes on him the second he passed through the sitting room. He spotted her immediately by the fireplace, seeing her looking intently up at either Lorcan or Lysander Scamander, Teddy could never tell them apart, as he talked about something with enthusiasm. And even though he had Vic on his arm, the Metamorphmagus felt a stab of jealousy as Lily smiled, seemingly enraptured by whichever Scamander brat was talking, and put a hand on his arm, saying something soft that made them both laugh.

He turned away just as Lily glanced up, having felt his eyes on her, and saw his retreating back, Victoire dangling from his elbow adoringly. The redhead turned back to Lorcan and smiled. “Listen, I’m starved, d’you wanna come see if food’s ready with me?” Lily asked, tossing her hair expertly and watched the elder of the Scamander twins melt like putty in her hands.

“Sure,” he said brightly, looking so very young and eager, and Lily almost laughed, because it was obvious Scamander, with the arrogance of a sixteen year old genius, thought he had a chance with her.

When they sat down, her eyes found Teddy again, thankfully not holding Victoire’s hand as he loaded up a plate at the buffet. Lily grabbed her own plate, Lorcan following, and moved to stand across the table from her cousin and Teddy. And the redhead couldn’t help but notice Victoire looked a little sad and Teddy looked grumpy. She smiled coyly. “Hey, good party, eh?” she said brightly to the couple across from her.

“Yes,” Vic said with a smile that was almost not fake. “It’s so exciting for James and Priscilla,” she said.

“Yeah,” Teddy said, avoiding her eyes.

“I can’t believe Jamie popped the question,” Lily said blandly. “It was so out of left field, right? Not like if someone had been with a girl for like ever and then proposed. But good for them, I say.” Teddy sent her a dark look as Vic smiled weakly.

“Indeed,” the blonde witch murmured, and Lily looked down the table.

“Ooh, look, potato salad. I hope Gran made it.” She moved away, feeling petty and hollow after being mean and jealous, and wanted to go home. Instead she filled a plate and ate it while Lorcan regaled her with his thrilling life as a Hogwarts student.

She sat, in her slightly wrinkled dress, and thought about the bathroom interlude. As always, Teddy had been amazing. And while it was happening, Lily hadn’t been able to stop herself falling for him even more. She’d imagined sneaking out with him, holding hands and not caring that there were love bites on her neck, because she’d be with him, and everyone would know. She dreamed, naively, that they could be together, and everything would be okay.

But that couldn’t happen. She told herself this fact firmly. _He’s with Victoire. They’re probably going to get married and have a dozen babies, and you’ll never be more than that silly fling, once upon a time_. Despite knowing it, and telling herself, Lily still hoped. She was stupid, and foolish, and utterly desperate for sure, but she couldn’t fight it. Being with Teddy felt _right_. More than even the last time she’d fancied herself in love. And that was why she couldn’t stop having him back. Because she was hooked on him just as bad as he was apparently hooked on her.

And Lily knew, despite letting her foolish, naive heart hope, that he would never leave Victoire. She could never win against the older, smarter, far more beautiful witch. Forever the mistress, never the Mrs. after all. But she would take what he could give her, until she could have it no more, because even though Lily had been Sorted into Gryffindor, she always looked out for herself first. And if her cousin couldn’t satisfy her man, Lily vowed she would, and enjoy every last second of it.

She woke up Monday morning to pounding on her door. The redhead groaned, feeling distinctly hung over after work the night before, where she’d gotten messed up with Scorpius Malfoy and fucked him into next week, and sat up groggily. “What time’s it?” she mumbled to herself, and squinted at the clock. Seven thirty four! What the actual bleeding fuck!?

The pounding on her door resumed and she got up, grabbed her wand off the nightstand, and stumbled out of her bedroom, unlocking the door. Just as she reached it, the knob turned, and Teddy walked into her. “Lily,” he murmured, and she blinked groggily, then turned around and headed back to bed. “Where are you going?” he demanded, following.

“I’m going back to sleep. I worked last night, I’ve got a massive hangover, and I’m tired. Goodnight.” She crawled into bed and felt Teddy join her.

“When are you going to stop working there?” he grumbled, snuggling up behind her. Lily smirked.

“When are you gonna tell Vic you’ve been fucking around on her with me?” she shot back, and Teddy frowned. “That’s right,” she added into his silence. “Never.”

“You don’t get to just throw that in my face,” he growled.

Lily yawned, feeling more awake and grouchy about it. “Sure I do. Just like you get to throw me being a great big whore in my face whenever you like.” She turned her head and glanced vaguely over her shoulder. “I mean, I get it. I have things your girlfriend won’t give you, right?” She looked at Teddy properly, smirking. “I bet it’s the back door, isn’t it? You love that you get the ass with me but never with her?”

The older wizard sat up, eyes narrowing. “You’re a fucking bitch,” he murmured.

“Probably,” Lily said, rolling back over. “In my defense, though, you woke me up, so you should’ve expected grouchiness.” She jumped when he spanked her, rolling all the way onto her stomach. “Ow!”

“Good, I’m glad that hurt,” Teddy growled. He moved over, sitting on the tops of her thighs, pinning her. “You’re fucking naughty, and since no one’s bothered to teach you manners, I’m going to. Because your smart mouth is too crass and too vulgar sometimes.” She gasped when he spanked her again. Clad in only her tiny thong and a tank top to sleep, she was left almost entirely exposed for his punishment. “Ask for more,” he demanded.

“No,” she said, and cried out as he spanked her again. “Teddy,” she groaned, and he spanked her a fourth time.

“I don’t care how long it takes, I’m going to teach you not to talk back to me,” he snarled. She moaned, arching and presenting herself for him as he spanked her again. “Yeah, sweetheart, show me that hot little ass. I know you love having it fucked, don’t you?”

“Yesss,” Lily moaned. “Not like your girlfriend, right, sweetheart?” He spanked her again and she moaned louder, spreading her legs as wide as possible, aching for fulfillment. Instead he spanked her yet again, harder than all the other times. “Ow, fuck!”

“Good,” he grunted. “I’m glad the message is sinking in. When you act like a nasty slut, I’ll fucking treat you like one,” Teddy growled, and spanked her again, lighter, making her moan. “Now tell me you want that ass fucked.”

Lily groaned, still sore and hung over. “Fuck you, Lupin, it’s not happening. I want it in my pussy or nothing.” Her teeth grit as he spanked her again. “Ow, that hurts!” she whined.

“Good,” he repeated. “You’re being a mouthy cock tease. Tell me you want your ass fucked.” She wriggled as he pulled her skimpy lingerie off.

“No,” she said stubbornly. “I want my fucking pussy fucked, Lupin, and you can either do it or fuck off while I-” She couldn’t finish her sentence as she cried out as he spanked her harder than ever, and moaned. “Ow, you sonofabitch, that fucking _hurts_!”

“It’s supposed to, you nasty little slut,” he growled, and she cried out again as he thrust into her abruptly, filling her hot, slick pussy as requested. “Because you’re being _bad_ , and you’re doing it on purpose because you like the hot and nasty angry sex, don’t you, sweetheart?” He set a fast, hard pace.

Lily moaned and her head tilted back as he kissed and licked and nipped up her shoulder and the back of her neck. “Yes,” she whispered. “Ooh, _yes_!”

“I know you do. Now, be a good girl, and tell me you want that hot, tight ass fucked.”

She shuddered with pleasure at his tone of voice, the husky, commanding whisper that had done her in every time. “Mmm,” she whimpered, and crumbled, just like she always did with Teddy. “I want you to fuck my hot, tight ass,” she moaned, as he pounded her soaked pussy and then pulled away abruptly.

“If you insist, sweetheart,” he rumbled, and then rubbed his prick teasingly against her dripping slit. “Hold it open for me, just like a good girl.” She moaned, but spread her legs more and reached around, cheek pressed into the mattress, and parted her ass cheeks wide for him. “Yes, that’s my nasty girl,” he grunted, and slid his prick up from her pussy to her ass hole. “Tell me again you want it,” he demanded.

Lily wriggled. “Please fuck my ass,” she moaned, just wanting to come, the same as last time, not caring what she had to do to get there.

“That’s my naughty girl,” he grunted, and pushed forward, forcing half his cock into her oh so tight ass, feeling her tense and hearing her mewl of discomfort. “Unh, so tight.” He pulled back a little and pushed forward again until she squeaked in discomfort again. He pulled out and thrust home hard, sheathing himself entirely as she cried out beneath him, arching up into him. “Fuck yes,” he growled, fisting a hand in her hair again, making her whimper. “So good,” he grunted, rocking slowly, and then pulled out halfway, pushing home again.

Lily’s hands fisted on the sheet as he fucked her ass, slow and deep until she was accustomed to him and then slowly faster. She mewled and cried out, begging for completion beneath him as he greedily took his pleasure from her. Teddy grunted, feeling his orgasm building, and pulled her upright abruptly. He sat back with her, buried to the hilt in her hot perfect ass, and spread his thighs, wordlessly Conjuring a mirror with the wand in his jeans pocket, not having removed them properly in his haste to be inside Lily.

She moaned at the angle change, arching and mewling. “Look at you,” he rumbled, and she bit her lip, not looking in the mirror, eyes closed. His hand moved to her hair and he tilted her head. “Open your eyes,” he rumbled. “Look at you,” he murmured as she rocked, fucking herself gently on him, and she blushed, shaking her head.

“Teddy,” she moaned, and he grunted.

“Just look, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You look delicious,” he growled, and bit her shoulder possessively. She glanced up and moaned, blushing hard. “See?” he rumbled against her ear. His hand dropped from her hair to her pussy, gently stroking the hub of her arousal, making her melt into him, moaning. “ _Mouthwatering_ ,” he growled.

“Teddy,” she gasped as he stroked her clit again, and bit her lip, whimpering as he drew a tantalizingly slow circle around the bundle of nerve endings. “Fuck, yes _please_ ,” she whimpered, bouncing a little.

“Fuck, those tits look amazing when they jiggle like that, sweetheart,” he grunted, stroking her a little faster now. She bounced more, riding his prick and tilting into his hand.

“Ooh, yes!” she moaned.

“Unh, yeah, just like that,” he groaned. “That’s perfect,” he ground out as she bounced harder, riding him fast, arching up into his hand for more stimulation on her clit.

“Oh _yes_ ,” she moaned loud, and looked at them in the mirror, feeling her embarrassment skyrocket as her arousal cranked into overdrive. She was hotter and wetter, she was positive, than she’d ever been before, and couldn’t help but crave a fast, hard release, and then another on Teddy’s prick. She watched his powerful arm move as his other hand reached to fondle her breasts as she rode him and he stroked her clit in a fast, circular motion that had her losing control in minutes. “Ooh, yes Teddy,” she moaned. “Yes, yes, _yes_!”

“Unh, fuck yeah, Lily, “ he grunted, obviously close. “Yeah, sweetheart, come for me. Come all over me, naughty girl.”

The redhead moaned loud, perhaps screaming, although she couldn’t be certain as she bounced hard on Teddy’s prick, her orgasm cresting in a wave of white hot bliss that slammed through her and left her floating in a molten tide of euphoria. And as she slowly drifted back to reality, feeling her lover’s hand still absently stroking her as he groaned and bucked halfheartedly before withdrawing from her, Lily hummed softly. The mirror Vanished and she laid down on her stomach again, ass sore and the rest of her body aching from the previous night and her recent activities.

“I’m going to sleep,” she mumbled.

“I have to go,” Teddy murmured and she held in a sigh.

“Okay,” she mumbled, snuggling into her pillow, thoroughly exhausted. He kissed her temple and smoothed her hair.

“I’ll be back tonight, if you want,” he murmured.

Lily tried not to smile, but it was impossible. “Sure,” she said lightly, even as she buried her grinning face in her pillow. “Bring food, I’ve got none,” she added as she felt him get up.

“I’ll see you later, Lily,” he murmured fondly, and she heard him Disapparate a few minutes later, falling into a contented sleep.

When Lily woke up, it was afternoon, and she felt thoroughly rested, if still a smidge sore, but took a long hot shower that had her ready for the day, and slipped into her favourite leggings and a tank top and headed out for coffee and a scone. She got her breakfast, did a little shopping, finding a to die for sexy little gold dress she knew would be perfect for work, and then headed back to her flat around dinner time.

To her surprise, Teddy was there, looking grouchy. “Where were you?” he asked, still in his work robes, looking stressed, and strode toward her, locking the door behind her and pulling her close, kissing her.

“I went shopping,” Lily breathed.

“Well leave a note or something,” he rumbled. “I almost panicked when I showed up and you weren’t here.”

Lily frowned. “It’s not like I knew you’d just show up,” she said defensively.

“I told you I would be here,” he said, and kissed her again, harder. “Fuck, Lily, you make me fucking crazy.”

The redhead glared, because that wasn’t particularly complimentary, but then his hands slid to her ass. “You can’t have that again,” she snapped.

He smirked. “We both know I’ll get whatever I want, sweetheart,” he teased. She folded her arms, but he unfolded them, pulling them up around his neck instead. “Especially when I tell you I brought food.”

Lily laughed, pulling back, and they sat on the couch, where he had Muggle Chinese food, their favourites, on the coffee table waiting. “Mmm, how long have you been here?” she asked through a mouthful of egg roll.

“Since four. I’m on a mission, so I’m technically on call, but we’re not expecting the real action until tomorrow anyway.” She swallowed her mouthful.

“So, are you staying over, then?” she asked hesitantly.

His bright turquoise brows lifted. “Unless you don’t want me to,” he said.

“No,” she said, trying not to feel giddy. “I want you to.”

“Good,” he said lightly, and took a bite of his own egg roll. “And if you don’t mind, I might just crash here for the week. It’s closer to the target area.” Lily rolled hazel eyes.

“What’s in it for me?” she demanded.

He lifted a brow. “Other than me in your bed every night for a week?” Lily frowned.

“Yes,” she said firmly.

Teddy smirked. “I come with the bonus of food.”

Lily considered this then shrugged. “I guess,” she said. Teddy smirked and tugged a hank of her hair.

“You’re being kind of bossy and rude again, Lily,” he rumbled.

She shot him a sly smile. “I come with attitude, Lupin. Get used to it or go home, sweetheart.”

XXX


	7. Chapter 7

XXX

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” said a soft voice that eased across Teddy’s consciousness. He groaned, feeling his mind rising from sleep, and longed to stay oblivious to the new day. “Hmm,” the soft voice murmured, and he felt his mind slipping back into sleep when hot breath tickled his ear and a mouth pressed into his neck. “Teddy, seriously, wake up,” the voice purred and he grunted, feeling teeth graze him teasingly. Teddy just wanted to sleep, so he rolled away, onto his back, making a noise of displeasure at being bothered. “Fine,” the voice murmured, and he felt himself drifting in the twilight between sleeping and waking, mind blank, once more.

And just as he teetered on the brink of sleeping again, he felt a warm mouth kissing the top of his right pectoral, dragging slowly inward and down the length of his sternum. He groaned and lifted his pelvis, even as he felt his morning wood throbbing with approval. The sinful mouth swirled across his stomach and he groaned, deep and low in the back of his throat.

“It’s time to get up,” a sultry, rough voice purred from the region of his navel and Teddy groaned, then hissed through clenched teeth as he felt hot, open-mouthed kisses sliding down the curve of his hip.

“I am up,” he rumbled, not entirely coherent, but hoping with every fiber of his being that hot, delicious mouth would move inward a few inches.

“Liar,” the voice murmured, and he moaned softly, flexing his hips and thrusting up instinctively as a warm, wet tongue laved his morning wood teasingly.

“Am not,” he growled, and pushed a hand into a tangled mess of wavy curls blindly.

The soft feeling of lips skimmed up the underside of his cock and his teeth clenched as he hissed again while a molten tongue swirled around the head of his prick. Teddy’s hand made a fist around the hair that slid between his fingers on instinct. “You might be up, Lupin, but you’re sure as hell not awake,” purred that tempting voice that had played in all of his dream world fantasies for the last month and a half.

He grunted and thrust upward, wanting nothing more than to fuck the hot, wet, and deliciously talented mouth around his prick into submission until he spilled himself between those plump, sensual lips wrapped around his favourite body part. “Then you’d better get to work, sweetheart,” he mumbled, and moaned softly as the deliciously warm tongue swirled over the head of his cock again. His fingers clenched around the handful of hair and he felt his breath whoosh out as those perfect lips finally closed around his cock and sucked, sinking lower and lower down his length, before dragging up once more.

Teddy kept his eyes shut until he felt his orgasm cresting and finally opened his bright amber orbs just as he felt the tip of his cock pressing into the soft heat of the back of Lily’s throat, her mischievous hazel eyes staring back at him as his abdominal muscles clenched and his balls pulled up and he shot his load into her hungry, waiting mouth with a sharp growl of, “ _Fuck_!”

“Good morning,” Lily said roughly after pulling away, slithering up Teddy’s body and straddling his hips.

“Fucking right,” he murmured, and grinned sleepily, grasping her hips and rolling them abruptly. “Let’s make it great, shall we, sweetheart?”

The redhead felt his mouth skim down her neck, one very talented hand ghosting up the inside of her thigh and Lily smiled. It wasn’t long until she was coming and crying his name, his face buried between her thighs, and Lily had to admit, mornings with her turquoise haired lover definitely qualified as great.

Lily knew, by the end of the week, if she wasn’t in love with Teddy Lupin before, she definitely was now. She woke up with him, or more precisely to him, and the feel of his mouth tracing over her breasts and stomach, almost every morning. And every night, when she slipped into bed, he was either there or joined her at some ungodly hour. They shared meals and laughter, even taking a long walk through Muggle London on one sunny afternoon, laughing together at the Muggle technology stores. And although deep down, Lily knew she was running on borrowed time and Teddy could never really be hers, she still pretended those blissful days that they could go on that way forever. Eating pizza and drinking beer on her couch, with their feet up, just talking about their days, or having heated debates over the merits of Muggle versus wizard-made whiskey, and spending too many hours exploring one another’s bodies on any and every surface of her flat.

On Friday evening they were snuggled up on the couch, neither speaking much as they ate leftovers from Lily’s proof she could cook, which happened to be a rather delicious ham and potato casserole thing with copious amounts of cheese and butter and other things Teddy was certain were bad for him. And after she Levitated their plates to the sink, she curled into his chest, smiling a little sadly as his arm came around her. She wanted to tell Teddy she loved him, wanted to tell him to pick her, to be with _her_ , damn it, but held back. _You have him for now. That’s enough_.

“So,” Teddy said loudly into the silence, then modulated his tone. “So, I…” He glanced down at Lily, half fearing she may have fallen asleep on him. “I think I’m going to break up with Vic,” he said lightly.

Lily didn’t move a single muscle, not even breathing, certain she’d misheard. “What?” she whispered.

He swallowed thickly. “I’m going to break up with Vic.” The redhead breathed in slowly.

“Why?” she said before she could stop herself, and then almost bit her tongue out.

Teddy shrugged. “I don’t want to be with her,” he said softly. Even as he spoke the words, Lily felt her stomach drop guiltily. “I’ve never been with anyone else, really, and I think that’s why I don’t want to settle down.”

Lily tried not to sound petty and angry when she said, “Except me.” He looked at her. “You haven’t been with anyone else except me.”

Teddy frowned. “I meant in more than a sexual sense,” he said sternly.

The redhead’s brows lifted. “Wow, so it’s just the sex for you? Okay then,” she said, and grit her teeth, telling herself she wouldn’t cry. “Good to know that.”

Teddy sighed, frustrated. “That’s not what I meant. We don’t have a proper relationship,” he said.

“I know,” Lily snarled. “Because you’re still dating my cousin and I’m still a whore,” she snapped. “Fucking Merlin, I know already!”

“Sweet fuck, Lily, you know what I mean!” he growled.

“Sure,” she said blandly, and got up. “I have to get ready for work,” she said.

Teddy grit his teeth, because he hated that she still worked there. “You should get a real job,” he grumbled, slouching on her couch.

“Easy for you to say now. You’d never have me, or my hot little ass, if I had a ‘real job’, sweetheart,” she said sourly, and flounced into her bedroom. Teddy brooded for a beat and then followed, watching her put her makeup on.

Lily’s hazel eyes flicked up to him, standing in the doorway, through her mirror. “Can I help you?” she asked pointedly.

“You always say no before you go and spread your legs for whoever can afford it,” he said bitterly.

Lily grinned. “Because you’re too greedy to share nicely,” she teased, and reached for her lipstick. “Besides, you know what’s coming when I get home.”

Teddy sneered. “You think I want those sloppies?” Her mouth dropped open and the older wizard felt his temper boiling. “Think again, sweetheart. So if you’re not in the mood to oblige me, I’ll go home, thanks.”

She stared at him as he moved back to the sitting room. “Fuck you, Teddy,” she said, eyes blurring with tears, but if he heard he gave no indication, stomping to her fireplace and Flooing directly home to his own flat.

Once there, he merely stomped around, feeling angry and nettled by Lily and her stupid job that, technically, _was_ the reason he’d met her in a way that meant he could have her in bed. On top of the massive helping of guilt, because he hadn’t seen Victoire in almost a week, and nor had he heard from her, and he was pretty much going to tell her the next day it was over. And he felt like an idiot, because that thought made him feel dangerously close to weepy. Why on earth should he, Auror and hard ass and Shittiest Boyfriend Alive, feel a drop of sadness that he was ending it with Victoire? _Because you’re the one who’s been fucking around for a month. And you know she still loves you_.

Teddy pushed a hand through his hair and went to take a shower, but that only reminded him he was still hot and bothered for Lily. He’d just finished Healing the latest round of scratches on his back, claw marks he recalled receiving, vividly, as he’d pounded his redheaded lover into her mattress the night before, and then the rest the next morning while she rode his lap, when Teddy heard whooshing from his fireplace. He picked up his wand silently off the vanity, easing his way out of the bathroom wearing only his towel.

Just as someone turned down the hallway, he pinned them flat to the dreadful dusty rose and butter yellow floral wallpaper, wand pointing at their neck, arm across their throat, pulse thudding deafeningly in his ears.

“Teddy!” Victoire gasped, blue eyes huge. Teddy felt his relief it was only Vic soured by her just turning up, without warning, in his flat after not hearing from her for a week and knowing he wasn’t at all ready for doing what he’d planned to do the next morning. _Godric, what if Lily was here_!?

“Fucking hell, Vic,” he growled, releasing her and stepping back. “I almost cursed you!”

Her blonde brows drew together. “I thought you weren’t coming home until morning,” she said a tad defensively. “I was coming to wait for you. To surprise you.”

“Oh.” Teddy felt impossibly shittier at that. “Uh, my mission wrapped early. So I’m back,” he said.

“Why are you so jumpy, anyway?” she asked and Teddy shoved a hand through his damp hair, sighing, and turned to go to his bedroom.

“I just spent four days waiting for a guy who kills first and asks questions later to show up at his Mistress’s apartment. I’m a little edgy,” he said darkly, and unwound his towel, feeling a flash of embarrassment at having Vic see him naked. If he was honest, he wasn’t sure the last time that was, that she’d just seen him naked in the glaring glory of the magically enhanced sixty watt bulb in his bedroom.

He opened the first dresser drawer for clean boxer briefs, dropping his towel entirely, and felt grateful that Vic, probably, wasn’t looking. Just as he relaxed, though, Victoire said coldly, her tone laced with accusation, “What happened to your backside?”

For a second Teddy didn’t know what she meant. Nothing had happened to _his_ backside as far as he was aware. Lily’s on the other hand… And then it clicked. He’d Vanished the scratches on his back and shoulders, sure, but Lily had gotten him everywhere and anywhere she grabbed. Including his ass. _Shit_. “I…”

“Did you get hit with a Cutting Curse?” Victoire asked icily. “Or was that one of those falls again, like the ones on your back last week? You know, when you said you must’ve got them when you tripped, smashed that glass, and fell on the pieces?” He turned to face her slowly over his shoulder, afraid sudden movement would shatter her tightly held composure and Vic would snap. He’d seen it before, first hand.

“Neither,” he said softly.

Her mouth pursed, eyes going bright. “Is that what we need to talk about, Ted?” she asked, voice wavering softly. He hated himself when tears dripped from her lashes.

“Yes.”

The word hung there between them. Victoire took a deep breath. “You’re cheating on me.” It wasn’t a question, but Teddy answered it.

“I did,” he said. “Am I currently? I don’t think so.” He swallowed as her brows drew together sharply.

“What does that mean? Because you’re not with her, you’re somehow exempt from being a cheater?” she snapped furiously.

“No,” Teddy said, quickly stepping into his boxer briefs and tugging them up. If he was honest, he’d rather have his pants on to duel, should it come to that. “I mean, whatever we have can’t really be called a relationship lately, can it?”

Her eyes sparkled with more unshed tears. “And whose fault is that?” she demanded.

“Both of us,” he said fairly. She snorted, making his mouth tighten. _She’s hurt and emotional. She’s not thinking clearly_. “You disagree?” he asked lightly.

“Of course I disagree! I’ve done nothing to deserve this!”

“I know,” he said, unable to help the bitterness seep in. “You haven’t done a thing. In a month. And how do I know that? Because you couldn’t be pried away from your sister’s baby for more than a half hour, and even when I did get you away, that’s the only thing you talked about!”

Victoire’s face contorted in fury. “Because I wanted you to see how magical and amazing a baby is, Teddy! I wanted you to feel included because I want to have that with you!”

His lip curled. “Well then you went about it all wrong,” he said blandly. “You gave me a damn good taste of being put second in line to a bundle of chubby cheeks and poop. I wonder why the thought of having that permanently isn’t very enticing, now, Vic.”

He felt bad, because she looked shocked and hurt at that, but felt a vicious surge of pleasure as it seemed to click in her brain. “Probably because you’re too busy fucking around on me,” she shot back, giving him a filthy look. “Who is she?”

Teddy grimaced. “None of your business.” Vic’s laugh smacked of hysteria.

“Like hell it isn’t, Ted Lupin! I want to know what trollop has been trying to fill my shoes, damn it!” Her own lip curled, and she was far from pretty now. “Is it that slut you fucked five years ago?” she demanded. His brows went up, mouth parting. Vic’s laugh was cold now. “Oh, you thought I didn’t know about that? So cute. Of _course_ I knew about her. She came and told me the next day. You got drunk and fucked the slut from my year at Hogwarts, Mindy Davis,” Vic said, “and I forgave you. Because she told me you were out with Toby and he got you drunk, and you felt bad the next morning.” Teddy felt his shock reaching dangerous levels. He supposed him leaving before the woman awoke and never going back to the pub she’d worked at constituted feeling bad, but he’d mostly just been embarrassed. “So was it her again?” Victoire demanded.

“No.”

“Then tell me who, damn it!” she shouted.

For a beat, Teddy was tempted to tell her the truth, just to see the expression on her face, because he was willing to bet it’d be a good one, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t drag Lily into this mess without even warning her he was going to out them both. “None of your business,” he growled.

Vic glared. “How long?” she demanded.

“Does it really matter at this-?”

“Just tell me how long, damn it, Teddy!” she shouted, looking quite demented. He grit his teeth.

“Since the first time?” he clarified. Victoire’s eyes went huge.

“ _How many times has it happened_!?” she screeched.

“The first time was the night before Dom’s baby shower,” he said truthfully. “The last time was…” He didn’t want to say that morning, so he said, “Last night.” The blonde witch merely stared at him, mouth parted, eyes unseeing. “And I don’t know how many times it’s happened.” _Lots. Lots and LOTS_. “It’s been happening on the regular for a month or so.”

“I knew it,” Vic said quietly. “I _knew_ it. Dom thought I was being paranoid, and reading into things, but _I knew it_. Godric, I’m so blind,” she murmured. “And you,” she said, seeing him as if for the first time, looking at him with disgust. “You’re a scumbag.” His brows lifted. “No, you’re worse than that. To think you almost made me believe it was all my fault, because I spent so much time with Dom and Little Vicky! Is that why you don’t want to settle down!? Because you’re cheating on me?” Victoire said hysterically.

Teddy felt a stab of outrage. “No,” he said darkly, wondering just what the blonde witch and her sister talked about concerning him. “They have almost nothing to do with one another.” Although he couldn’t deny, if Vic hadn’t been distracted by her niece, she would’ve definitely noticed something was up, and ages ago.

“You’re worse than a bloody scumbag, Teddy Lupin,” she said, and he could see that the tears were about to start in earnest. Guilt cramped his stomach, making him feel sick. “You’re a piece of shit!” she hissed.

His mouth quirked a little at that. “So I’ve been told,” he murmured.

“This is so not funny,” she growled.

The Metamorphmagus opened the third drawer and pulled out a black t-shirt. He remembered the last time he’d worn it, because it was one of the nights Lily had slept over, and they’d eaten cereal together the morning after amazingly good sex, even considering the standard, while she wore it and nothing else. “So what are we doing then, Vic?” he said, closing the drawer and turning to face her properly for the first time.

She looked rattled. “What do you mean?” Her face paled and her eyes looked even bluer. “You’re not…? Oh Godric, you _are_ ,” she whispered, and tears spilled silently down her cheeks. “You’re breaking up with me,” she said, as if in shock.

Teddy balked. “Who said that? I’m asking what we’re doing,” he said.

She bit her lip. “I want to fix this,” she whispered. “I… We can get past this. Together. I know we can.”

Teddy felt his heart sink. Here it was. The line. Either he told her the whole truth and she hated him forever more, and they were finished as surely as any chance he might have with Lily would be. Or he lived up to the title of Shittiest Piece of Shit, and heartlessly told her he simply didn’t want to be with her, only withholding the fact he’d cheated with her cousin. He could simply tell her that he couldn’t be who she needed and she was no longer who he wanted, knowing she’d be crushed, although it was the truth in a way. _Or you could just lie_. He pushed that tempting, very tempting, thought aside. He couldn’t do that. That would actually make him… He frowned. What was worse than the shittiest piece of shit, doomed to the depths of Hell forever, and all around complete and utter arse?

_Or you could lie. Just tell Vic you want to fix it too. Then you can have her, keep her happy, and have Lily on the side. She already thinks you’re married to the job, and it’s not like she’s in love with you. Have your Victoire cake for later and devour the Lily cake now too._ “No,” he said aloud and then winced when Victoire’s mouth parted and she looked as if she might faint. “I mean,” he hedged, and then took the coward’s way out. “I want to…” His brain made his mouth move before he realized what he was saying. “I want to start over with us. We got lost through the years, and I want to find you again. I want us to kind of start over so we can remember all the reasons we got together in the first place. Get back to what we used to do, when we were dating.”

Victoire looked at him apprehensively for a long moment. “What are you saying? What does that mean?”

“I’m saying we’ll start over.” Godric, could he say it any other way? “Start fresh again. We’ll date like we used to. Go out together, spend time, the stuff we did before life got in the way. And we’ll see if that’s both what we want...being together.” Teddy was half tempted to either completely Obliviate himself after his traitorous mouth stopped moving, or turn himself permanently mute. The little voice in his head chuckled maliciously and he felt his heart sink past his toes and six feet underground, because he was a dead man for sure, one way or another.

“That sounds…” He held his breath. “That sounds like a great idea,” Vic said. “I mean, I’m going to need time, lots of time, because I’m very angry with you. And you have to _swear_ you’re never going to see her again, but…” She sniffled. “I’m willing to try. Start fresh,” she said, and gave him a watery smile that somehow enhanced her beauty.

“Are you sure?” he asked, hoping to Godric she’d say anything but yes.

“Yes,” she said and Teddy almost screamed. It was a close thing. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID_! _What am I doing_!?

“Okay,” he said weakly.

She smiled faintly again, then looked down. “Um, I should go,” she said. “I need...I need to just kind of be away from you right now… After hearing about...that.”

“Okay,” he said again, even though it wasn’t okay. None of it was okay, really, but he had no idea what else to say. His guilty as sin subconscious, it seemed, had supplied enough words for him and was silent.

Victoire Flooed home and Teddy sighed, wondering what the fuck he was supposed to do now. He heard someone Floo in and frowned. When he stomped to the living room, Lily stood there, looking hesitant, still made up, her hair curled, but wearing the same sweats and tee he’d left her in.

“You don’t get to just leave,” she said firmly, even though she definitely looked like she’d been crying.

He swallowed. “Okay,” he said. And that was okay. He could accept that because that had been an asshole move. Hell, he’d been a grade A asshole to her. It was becoming a talent of his, apparently. “I…” He wanted to tell her what had happened with Victoire, what he’d said, and done, and where they stood. But the words wouldn’t come.

“I don’t really want to talk right now,” Lily said, moving toward him, and sinuously pulled her t-shirt off in one graceful movement.

“Okay,” Teddy said roughly, eyes fixed on her breasts as she moved toward him, finally moving to slide her palms up his chest. He didn’t want to talk either.

“Okay,” she said, smirking, and then pulled him down to kiss him abruptly, shoving her tongue into his mouth, and he responded on instinct, hauling her closer, taking control of the kiss and making her submit to him. He fondled her breasts roughly, pulling and twisting her nipples, loving the excited mewls of pleasure she made in response as they snogged. _Well, so much for not seeing her._

The morally defective voice inside his head, the one he reckoned he should really just start ignoring, had an answer for that. _Close your eyes. Besides, you didn’t swear to anything, she just said you had to. So technically, you’re not even in the wrong._ Teddy was pretty positive he was doomed to infinite payback come judgment day. Lily pulled him back by gripping his hair with both hands, both her legs around his hips and her ass in his hands, at last breaking their kiss roughly, and purred in that gravelly voice, “Are you just going to stand here with me, or are we getting naked and at least moving to the couch, Lupin?”

He squeezed his handfuls of firm fleshy ass and she grunted softly next to his ear, nipping the lobe of it playfully. He opened his mouth to suggest they go to bed instead, but a sliver of him, the part that was actually a decent person still and felt horrible about all of this, protested at the thought of having her in his bed. The intimacy of that, after Vic’s little visit and what he’d offered and she’d accepted, was too much. So instead, he grunted, “Are you going to give me a blowjob first, or are you really that desperate and greedy for my cock, sweetheart?”

Lily grinned. “I’m pretty sure that month of blowjobs is over,” she rumbled.

“I’m pretty sure it’s not.” He sat down on the couch with her on his lap. “So?”

“Fine,” she said huskily, and kissed him briefly. “But just for the record, I probably would’ve agreed to six months, y’know.” Teddy smirked, because he’d barely been able to resist devouring her.

“I’ll remember that for next time,” he said and felt his cock throb in his pants as she slipped from his lap, parted his knees, and knelt between his feet. He reached out for a fistful of hair, grunting as she smoothed her hands over his erection, then hastily undid his trousers. Except that when she took him into her mouth, sucking him off with consummate skill, he was pretty positive if she’d asked, he wouldn’t even remember his own name.

XXX


	8. Chapter 8

XXX

“Get up,” someone hissed into his ear, rousing him from a peaceful sleep abruptly, and instantly souring his mood.

“Wha-?” A hand clapped over his mouth and Teddy instantly pushed it back, then saw Lily, in the early morning light, still naked and rumpled sexily in his bed, where he’d finally taken her the previous night to have her properly after she’d owled in to work. And he noticed she looked panicked.

“Someone just Flooed in, I have to go _now_ ,” she hissed, even lower, and they both froze as someone knocked on the bedroom door.

“Teddy?” Victoire said, sounding hesitant.

“Take down your Apparition wards!” the redhead growled shooting him a dark look, and Teddy, grabbing his wand off the nightstand, complied at once, even as his brain struggled to be awake and coherent, and rubbed his face, half sitting up. Lily disappeared just as the doorknob turned.

“Teddy?” Vic said again, and the door opened. She looked around the room suspiciously. “Were you sleeping?” she asked softly.

“Yeah,” Teddy said roughly, voice still rumbly with sleep, and flopped back down, rubbing his eyes until little stars and patterns burst behind his eyes.

“Alone?” Victoire pushed.

Teddy felt his guilty conscience burn and his words came out defensive and rude because of it. “Do you see anyone else?” he snarled.

Victoire’s mouth pressed together and she stared at him searchingly for a long moment. Then she smiled slowly. “No,” she said gently, and moved into the room properly, moving to sit beside him, on the edge of the bed, one foot curled under her. If she noticed the faint smears of mascara on the next pillow, she didn’t mention it, and nor did she mention the slight hickey, just under his jaw, partially hidden by his five o’clock shadow. “I’ve been thinking,” she said, looking down, then peeking back up. “About what you said yesterday.” She bit her lip hesitantly then said boldly, “I think if we’re going to do this, for real, it should be just like it was.” Teddy, who was still tired and confused nodded.

“Okay,” he said gruffly.

Victoire’s blue eyes narrowed. “So I think we should stay celibate until we’re at the point where we’d be willing to go all the way,” she said firmly, and Teddy’s eyes closed. He fought the urge to sigh.

He’d first started dating Victoire when he was nineteen. He’d been a virgin then, and had stayed that way for an entire year after they got together. An entire year of waiting and imagining and anticipating, for five minutes of bliss. At the time, Teddy had felt like it had been worth it, because those five minutes of them being one had been magical to his undersexed mind. In hindsight, he felt like he’d been kept waiting far too long, and the payoff had hardly been worth it. At least not compared to-

“So what do you think?” Victoire asked.

Teddy waved a hand. “Sure,” he mumbled. He threw an arm over his eyes, and didn’t notice her lip curling. And Teddy definitely didn’t see her reach out, eyes narrowed dangerously, and shift a portion of the rumpled sheet aside to reveal Lily’s skimpy, black lace knickers that he’d stripped with his teeth and then used as a makeshift gag for the redhead while he took her hard and fast from behind.

Her mouth hardened along with her heart, and she looked down at Teddy, who was probably drifting back to sleep while her heart broke into a million pieces. Victoire Weasley felt a tear slide down her face and batted it aside furiously, hurt and anger warring within her. So Teddy had lied to her. Again. She would’ve laughed at how good of an actor he’d become, the same boy who’d never been able to keep a single thing from her, no less, if she hadn’t wanted to cry so badly.

But if he could lie and fuck around and play games, so could she. _I’ll show him, the rat bastard_ , she thought viciously, and pasted a bright smile on. “Well,” she chirped, watching Teddy’s arm lift as he looked at her. “I have the _whole day_ today, so I figured we could have breakfast. I mean, I have _some_ work, later, but I thought we’d spend the morning together.” She bounced up, feeling a vicious surge of pleasure as he winced at her bubbly, vivacious tone. She hoped he was hung over.

“Sure,” Teddy said. “That sounds great.”

Victoire’s smile widened, because if he wanted to play this game, she was going to make sure he’d be the loser. And she’d make certain she won in the end. “Great!” she chirped. “I’m going to whip up some breakfast. Egg white omelets and whole wheat waffles. I picked up some of that calorie free, unsweetened strawberry spread you love, so I think waffles sounds great. Come out when you’re dressed,” she said, going toward the kitchen.

Teddy stared after her. He hated calorie free, unsweetened strawberry spread. He’d only lied because Vic seemed to like it so much. What he really wanted was a gallon of maple syrup for his wheat-free waffles, and to have them served with Lily as the plate. He rubbed a hand over his face, certain he was utterly and completely fucked, and sat up again. Then he looked down and saw Lily’s tiny underwear in his bed, and his head whipped round to the doorway. He could hear Victoire in the kitchen, cooking, and prayed to Merlin she hadn’t seen them, even as he snatched them up and stuffed them under his pillow. _Do you really think she’d be cooking you breakfast if she did_? Teddy let out a breath at that thought. True enough. If he knew Victoire Weasley, she sure as hell wouldn’t be cooking for him if she knew he’d spent the night, and early morning, fucking another woman senseless after they’d agreed to restart their relationship. She’d probably be plotting to kill him.

After a fast shower and a quick round of Vanishing the various marks Lily had left upon him, Teddy was dressed and sitting down to breakfast with Victoire. She was chatty, her smile bright, and in a seemingly fantastic mood. He choked down breakfast, trying to make copious sounds of delight, even though the waffles were dry and his eggs were distinctly bland. Afterward, he agreed to Victoire’s idea of a few leisurely hours of shopping in Diagon Alley, and they Apparated out together.

They hit up the Apothecary first, because that’s where they always went first, and it was Victoire’s favourite shop. She pored over obscure potion ingredients, haggled ruthlessly with the proprietor, and walked out with a little bag of herbs and various dried and pickled animal parts for whatever her latest brew was. Teddy, who’d been bored to tears as per usual, had smiled and feigned interest, and when Victoire said casually as they breezed out of the shop at last, “Hold this for me?” he did.

By the time they’d crossed to their next usual stop, the Owl Emporium, Teddy was regretting carrying the bag. It had to weigh at least fifteen pounds, and he had no idea what the lovely blonde witch bought, but it was getting _heavy_. She slowed her pace to gaze up at the owls on display, and Teddy looked at Victoire in profile.

She was as lovely as the first time he recalled seeing her as more than just Vicky Weasley, the girl who’d played with him at the Burrow growing up, but as Victoire, the young woman who’d blushed and smiled when he told her, startled by the revelation, she was beautiful. And Teddy suspected she’d be one of those women, like her mother, who looked beautiful even as they got old. A timeless beauty, his grandmother Tonks would’ve said.

But Teddy couldn’t help but think now, after so many years, that Victoire was indeed beautiful, but remote and frigid as a winter landscape. Her beauty didn’t invite approach and was so perfect it almost hurt. _Definitely not like Lily_. Lily was a much softer beauty, a warmer, more approachable kind of beauty. The sort of woman with too many laugh lines, a slightly too long nose, and slightly too full mouth to be strictly perfect.

“Why are you staring at me?” Victoire asked softly, and Teddy snapped back into himself. “You looked like you were a million miles away.”

“I was thinking about how you’ll probably be just as beautiful in twenty years as you are now,” he said, which wasn’t actually a lie. Victoire smiled, and instantly, her beauty softened like butter in the sun, making her look much younger and much more like the woman he’d loved not so long ago.

“Really?” she murmured, blushing ever so slightly.

_Mostly_. “Yes.”

“That’s really sweet,” she said softly, then it was if someone dumped ice cold water on her, as she went back to frosty, remote perfection, smile hardening. “C’mon, I want to find out how much that lovely grey one is,” she said, and Teddy barely held in a sigh.

The proprietor came over and coaxed the bird down. Vic stroked him adoringly but when Teddy reached out, the damn thing nipped him hard. He scowled at it, because he’d never been a fan of owls and only had his own because it was a necessity. And he’d come to an agreement with the bird upon buying her. She’d fuck off for the most part until he needed her, and he’d make sure she had a safe roost and food so long as she never bit him. And in the last two years, they’d been relatively decent roommates. “Does he have a name?” Victoire asked the shop owner.

“Aye. Name’s Hades. Doesn’t like anyone,” he said gruffly. Vic stroked the bird again and it hooted softly at her. “Except you. Honestly, I’d’ve taken him out back next week, even though he’s a damn good delivery owl. No one wants him seeing as he’s so damn ornery.”

Teddy resisted the urge to throttle the man to shut him up. Because, as the Metamorphmagus knew she would, after Vic heard that, she demanded to purchase the beast. Twenty minutes later, Teddy was carrying the flapping bird outside, thankful it was at least locked in a cage, and Hades was protesting loudly. “Poor thing, how could no one want you?” she murmured.

“They probably value their faces looking the way they do before meeting it,” Teddy grumbled and Vic shot him a dark look.

“He just needs a little persuasion, I’m sure. He’s probably been hurt in the past, and lashing out is the only way he knows to cope,” Victoire said haughtily, and swept ahead of him toward Scrivenshaft’s. Teddy rolled his eyes and cursed as the stupid bird managed to bite him through the cage.

By the time they wrapped up their ‘leisurely shopping trip’ with lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, and Teddy had carted all eleven of Vic’s bags, while Levitating the owl, into the little pub and halfway around every nook and cranny of Diagon Alley, Teddy was exhausted. All he wanted was to crawl back into bed at home and never move again. After a massive hamburger with a mountain of chips beside it, of course.

When the waiter arrived, Vic ordered and Teddy opened his mouth to do the same, but she just kept on talking, ordering for him as well. And, of all things, a _salad_. And after the waiter left, his shock must’ve been apparent on his face, because Victoire merely beamed, patted his hand, and murmured, “Really, Ted, you need to take better care of yourself. Eat nothing but garbage and junk, you’ll not live to see forty, y’know.” She tossed her curtain of silvery blonde hair over one shoulder and gave him a significant look. “You’re a paragon of _bad vices_ and you need to detox, Teddy Lupin.”

He tried very hard not to scowl. “I don’t think it really matters much at this point, Vic,” he grumbled. He was young and in his prime after all. Why worry about something that wouldn’t affect him for years?

She smiled, leaning in across the table. “Someday it’ll catch you up, I’m certain.” The blonde witch stopped smiling and stared at him seriously. “Wouldn’t it be better to tough it out for the right decision now, knowing it’s what’s for the best in the long run?”

Teddy forced a smile that didn’t remotely meet his amber eyes. “Maybe,” he conceded. _But goddamn it, I want a fucking hamburger and chips_.

The aquamarine haired wizard didn’t see Lily again until Saturday night. He’d gone out with Toby and ‘the lads’ yet again, although he knew he shouldn’t, and drank too much, as he’d known he would, and after declaring the need to go home, he instead went to the stupid bloody escort club, knowing the redhead would be working. Teddy was a little surprised he was let in, considering how drunk he felt, but he moved through the crowd as Zed, dark eyes peeled for Lily.

When he did at last spot her, he felt himself scowling, white hot jealous rage clawing up his insides. Because she was wearing a slinky little gold dress that barely covered and was almost entirely see through, and had plastered herself against Scorpius Malfoy’s front, looking up at him with that coy red smile under her mask. Of course, Teddy had known Lily’s profession meant she wasn’t faithful to him, obviously, and they’d never discussed monogamy, but seeing her all over the blond pureblood who was technically his second cousin or whatever had Teddy boiling mad. She smoothed her hands up Malfoy’s chest, looping her arms around his neck as she’d done so many times with him, and Teddy’s lip curled as she lifted up into him, knowing how those breasts would feel against his chest, the way her perfume would tickle his nose. And although he was furious and pissed and beyond jealous, Teddy couldn’t stop the smug, moral fiber voice in his head. _She’s as much yours as she is his, Lupin. You can’t have her for keeps, and at some point, she’s going to move on to the next good lay._

The Metamorphmagus turned away and, feeling surly and drunk and far too emotional, he weaved his way back toward the exit to go home and pass out. Teddy felt decidedly more drunk than he had been even upon arrival, and when he stumbled slightly, and bumped into a pretty young blonde, he apologized profusely. The girl’s mask was pink, black, and sparkly, and She had matching nipple tassels that swayed invitingly, drawing his gaze as she stepped back and then toward him.

Before he could think on the wisdom of it, his whiskey loosened tongue said, with only the slightest slur, “Can you make these twirl, darling?” And, with alcohol bolstered confidence, he reached out and flicked one of the glittering tassels, watching it indeed twirl. The girl’s pink mouth unfurled in a radiant smile.

“I can,” she said. “Would you like a private demonstration?”

Teddy blinked, thinking about it. He would like that, but he knew, deep down, that would be all sorts of wrong. That would make him...unthinkably shitty. The shittiest piece of shit that was ever shat! It was one thing to cheat. It was another to cheat and then cheat again on said other woman. And this time, when Teddy saw the line, the invisible boundary of Mostly Wrong and Utterly Despicable, he held back. “No,” he said. The lovely blonde pouted, moving closer, and he caught a whiff of her perfume, but it was too floral and musky compared to Lily’s.

“Then maybe you’d like me to give you the public demonstration first?” she asked, her dark eyes in her mask seeming to suck him in. “C’mon, this way,” she murmured, and reached for his hand.

“No, I was just-” He stopped dead at the familiar tickle of Lily’s perfume in his nose, and then she was pressed to his side.

“Stephanie, you know you can’t take them by force,” the redhead purred. “And he has a standing appointment, anyway.” Her hand moved boldly and possessively across his midsection, and Teddy sucked in a steadying breath as her fingertips teased just under his jeans. “Right, Zed?” she asked in that rough, sexy purr, and gently dragged her nails up his stomach.

“You bet,” he said, all but aching to get Lily alone and naked, to own her entirely. He didn’t even care if she’d just a moment ago been panting after Scorpius fucking Malfoy, or that he was a little offended she was so obviously staking her claim, when he’d been told without so many words he wasn’t free to do the same. Teddy was even past caring if she fucking made him pay for it. He was drunk, and horny, and she smelled mouthwatering, and he wanted to drown out the world with the pleasure he could take from her.

“Better luck next time,” the redhead said, smiling nastily, and slid with practiced ease all over Teddy’s front. “Should we find somewhere more private?” Lily purred, tossing her hair, lifting onto her toes up into him.

He couldn’t resist grabbing her ass firmly in both hands. “Yes,” he grunted.

When they finally did get behind closed doors, the Metamorphmagus was shocked as Lily shoved him, and hard, away from her. He stumbled backward, almost falling into the bed. “Are you fucking daft?” she snapped. “What the fuck are you doing here, Teddy?”

His lip curled automatically, and before he could stop himself, his drunk mouth and temper conspired to fuck him. “Well I was coming to see you,” he snapped back, “but then you were all over Scorpius Malfoy.”

“He’s a customer!” she snarled.

“I don’t fucking care!” Teddy growled. She took a step back as he changed suddenly back into himself, but his hair was bright red.

“This is my job, Teddy,” Lily said in a deadly quiet voice. “You knew that before you even fucking knew I was the face under the mask,” she continued, undoing the stupid mask, tossing it on the bed. “So you don’t get a fucking say.”

“I don’t want to share you with anyone and everyone who happens to swing by and has enough money,” Teddy said viciously, hating that it was true nonetheless.

Lily laughed. “Good for you,” she said. “I don’t much want to share you with my fucking cousin, but that doesn’t fucking change anything.”

Teddy was brought up short by that. He’d been blinded with jealousy seeing her all over his technical cousin, but Lily never said a word, or seemingly even got upset, when she saw him with Victoire. Which, in the last month or so, had been a fair number of times. But he felt a little stab of elation that she’d actually been jealous the entire time.

And directly after that thought trained cleared his mind, he realized, like a foolish passenger crossing the track into an oncoming train, he’d made a great big fucking mistake. Because if he’d been jealous, and then pleased a tiny bit at the thought she didn’t want to share him, that meant… He swallowed and despite his drunkenness, Teddy came to the uneasy, guilt inducing thought that he must have some sort of _feelings_ for Lily. And much more than just lust.

“You’re right,” he said softly, and looked at her. Her soft mass of dark red hair, those lovely, intelligent hazel eyes, and her full, expressive mouth. She was gorgeous, and he wanted her, more than anything, in that moment. “Nothing’s going to change unless we change it,” he mumbled, and stumbled toward the door, now very drunk. Lily moved toward him, and he pulled her close, kissing her. A large part of him wanted to slam her up against the fucking door, rip her clothes off, and fuck her senseless, but for the first time in awhile, Teddy listened to his moral fiber and pulled back. “I should go. I’m very drunk, sweetheart.”

Lily’s eyes looked between his for a beat, as if trying to riddle him out, and she sighed. “Okay.”

Teddy opened the door and weaved his way to the exit once more, and once he hit the street below, stuck out his wand arm, and trudged aboard the Knight Bus, hoping to get home before he passed out. To his surprise, Lily was already at his flat, waiting for him, when he finally managed to get in the door and he stopped dead at the sight of her. She was naked, sprawled out on his couch, and looking for the world like a fantasy brought to life. “I thought about what you said,” she said softly, her voice gravelly and rough, and he felt his cock twitch excitedly.

“Yeah?” he grunted, moving closer, praying he wasn’t actually passed out on the Knight Bus, dreaming her.

“Yeah,” she purred, and sat up, shifting her legs over the side of the couch, arms stretched along the back. His eyes dropped to her breasts. “I quit my job,” she murmured.

Teddy nodded stupidly, barely hearing her. “That’s fantastic, sweetheart,” he rumbled. Her red mouth curved up.

“You’re shitfaced,” she said, and giggled. “It’s kind of funny.”

Teddy undid his belt. “You bet.” She shifted up onto her knees as he moved closer, and he groaned a little as her hands slid up his thighs, undoing his jeans. “Fuck, if you’re going for the blowjob, sweetheart, I might not last.”

Lily smirked. “I’ll take a raincheck for me, Lupin.” She unzipped him, grasping his erection through his underpants, and he grunted, thrusting instinctively into her palm, then hissed when she licked her lips. “And I’d tell you to make sure the payback is worth it, but we both know it will be,” she teased, and then Teddy was deaf to anything but the wet sounds her mouth made as he fucked it, and the sound of his heart thundering in his ears when he came into her throat.

Twelve hours later, Lily looked up and sucked in a startled guilty breath. “Victoire,” she murmured in shock, and tried to hold back the natural urge to blush, considering where she’d just been, and what she’d done last night, and that morning, with her cousin’s boyfriend.

The lovely blonde witch frowned at her. “Lily?” she said.

The redhead panicked. “Um,” she said, trying to think on her feet, “hi, this is such a funny coincidence,” she said, smiling weakly. “I came to look at, um, an apartment here. Uh, Teddy told me about it, and I figured my place I have now is kind of shit, so why not look into it, right?” She bit her lip to stop the words from tumbling, unchecked and too fast, from her mouth.

Victoire frowned prettily. “Oh,” she said lightly. “Do you know if Ted is home, or-?”

Lily forced a shrug. “Uh, maybe, I dunno,” she mumbled, looking away. _He’s home, but he’s in the shower, probably Vanishing all traces of me_. Lily bit back the urge to say the words out loud and strove to remain normal. “So what’s new with you, then?” she asked brightly.

Her blonde haired, blue eyed cousin smiled a little, then sighed, and it faded. “Honestly?” she murmured. “Things have been better. Ted and I are going through some stuff, but…” The part Veela witch smiled bravely again. “I’m sure everything will come out right in the end.”

Lily forced herself to smile. “Good,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, and made to walk away. “See you, Vicky.”

Victoire smiled. “I hope you get the place, Little Lily.”

The redhead smiled sadly, and tried not to feel as hurt as she felt. “I doubt it,” she murmured. “There’s apparently some strong competition.”

The blonde witch tilted her head a little. “Don’t worry, Lily, things will work out. I’m sure of it.”

The redhead frowned a tiny bit, then pasted on a bright smile. “You’re right,” she agreed, feeling sick to her stomach, not only at what she’d done, but that she still wanted to do it, and that she was hoping things would work out in her favour, even though she knew it would hurt her cousin. “Things will work out just as they’re meant to, I’m sure. Um, see you around, I guess.”

“Bye, Little Lily.”

Lily sighed as she got dressed for Sunday dinner at her parents’ house. Normally she’d be eager to get there and sneak off to work, but now… The redhead sighed again, flopping onto her back in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what the hell she was doing. She’d gone and quit her job, a rather good paying one at that, and she knew she wasn’t quite at the point where she could live indefinitely off her savings. At least until her other choice of employment was established, which she wasn’t even close to having. And yet, Lily couldn’t help but feel hopeful that maybe, just maybe, things might work out for her for once. So she moved to sit at her vanity, carefully applying her makeup, if not quite so heavily as she might for working at the club, and spritzing on the perfume she knew Teddy liked best, because there was the distinct possibility he would be there.

And when she sat down at her parents’ table a half hour later, he was indeed there, seated across from her, and looking at her breasts as they all but spilled from her purposely low cut top. “What are you wearing?” he asked.

Lily smiled a tiny bit, then looked pointedly at herself. “Um, clothes?” James glanced over and scowled.

“The fuck, Lily?” he snapped, and the redhead blushed.

“James, language!” Ginny snapped, then looked at Lily. “Your sister looks very nice. Which is something you should strive to emulate,” she added. Lily beamed, and James looked down at his ratty tee and faded jeans.

“Whatever,” he mumbled. “But c’mon, Mum, she’s like half hanging out of her shirt.”

Harry frowned now, and Lily readjusted her top. “It is a tad revealing,” her father said, and the redhead rolled hazel eyes.

“Now that everyone’s commented on my appearance,” she said, feeling grouchy, half glaring at Teddy, “can we eat already?”

“Yeah, I’d much rather eat then talk about Lily looking like a slut. Again,” Albus drawled. Lily shot her brother a filthy look.

“Albus!” Ginny chided. “Language!”

“I do not look like a slut!” Lily growled, just as Harry said sternly, “Albus, we don’t call our sisters those things.”

“He’s not wrong,” Teddy muttered. Hazel eyes narrowed at him, even as James snickered and Ginny scolded Albus for calling his sister such a ‘rude and unsavoury term’.

“You’d know, right?” she hissed. Amber eyes narrowed at her, but Teddy didn’t comment as dinner was served. “So, anyway, I wanted to ask you, Mum,” the redhead continued brightly, ignoring the wizard across the table from her as she leaned on her elbows and turned to look at her mother. “Do you know if Professor Longbottom’s wife is still looking for a new waitress at the pub?”

Ginny frowned. “I don’t know, honey, that was months ago I’d last heard Hannah was looking. I can write and find out if you like, though.”

“Thanks, Mum, I’d love it if you could,” Lily said honestly, because it probably paid peanuts, but she knew she needed a job.

“Why do you ask, honey?” Harry questioned.

“Yeah, why bother with a waitress job?” Albus said through a mouthful of potatoes. “I thought you’d moved on up from that, Lils.”

The redhead glanced at Teddy, who didn’t look at her, and shrugged, resisting the urge to tell her brother she’d been persuaded to quit fucking lonely blokes for money to find herself a ‘real job’. Instead, Lily said, “I quit my job.”

There was a long beat of silence. “Why?” Albus demanded.

“Are you daft?” James said, and snorted. “You quit your job without having anything else lined up?”

“Do you need to move back home, honey?” her mother pressed.

Lily pulled a face. “Because, yes, and no,” she said firmly. “And I want the waitress job so I have free time to start what I really want to do.”

“What’s that?” Teddy asked, looking confused. Lily smiled sweetly.

“None of your goddamn business,” she said tightly, and four sets of eyebrows shot up as one pulled down. Ginny instantly chided her for her language. “Sorry, Mum.”

“Why don’t you want to tell us what you really want to do?” Harry asked after a long moment of silence, and Lily looked at her father, feeling guilty about her previous employment, even though she was positive he had no idea, and the tiniest bit embarrassed at the thought of revealing the one thing she felt most passionate about.

“We probably won’t make fun of you,” James said softly when she didn’t reply.

Lily shifted and shrugged. “I haven’t told anyone,” she said at last, and her gaze darted back to Teddy again, and he stared at her levelly this time, looking curious and as if he was trying to think what she could possibly have kept hidden when he’d been in her flat.

Indeed Teddy was thinking just that. “So why not tell us now?” he pushed.

Lily looked away. “I don’t really want to yet,” she mumbled, and blushed.

“Then you don’t have to, honey,” Ginny said firmly, and glanced reprovingly at Albus and James, and then, to his surprise, Teddy as well. “And no matter what, we all support you, honey, because we’re a _family_ and we love one another. Right?”

“Sure,” Albus said. “So long as you don’t embarrass us, sis.”

Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled. “I’ll try my best.” She picked up her fork again and added with a tight smile at Teddy, “And anyway, the waitress thing, if it works out, will probably still end up being my _real job_.” Then she put a mouthful of food in mechanically and waited until the conversation switched to something else.

XXX


	9. Chapter 9

XXX

Two weeks later, two long, worrisome weeks where she, with a sinking heart, dipped into her savings the tiniest bit to eat, and spent every night alone in her bed, thinking about Teddy and hating herself for it, Lily found out she got the waitressing job. But instead of the Hogsmeade location of the Three Broomsticks, which she’d applied for, the letter from her parents’ school friend stated she was needed more in the London location. Which she supposed was good for commuting, but, after she finished reading the letter she’d been sent confirming a job, she felt uneasy. Because the London branch of the Broomsticks was smack dab in the middle of Diagon Alley, and a big hit with lots of Ministry employees for lunches and after work drinks. Then Lily told herself she was being stupid, because there was _no reason_ to feel uneasy going to work at a busy place she’d be sure to make great tips at. At least none while she was without a job.

So, as per the letter’s instructions, she showed up to the London location of the Broomsticks, dressed in black pants and a black tee that were snug and stretchy with her hair and makeup flawless, and took a deep breath as Hannah Abbott introduced her to the assistant manager and her trainer. The assistant manager dropped her with the trainer, and Lily dove in headfirst, her old waitressing skills, a shade rusty since her career shift at the club, coming back with practice, and by the end of her four hour shift, although she was exhausted, Lily felt great. And she’d made decent tips to boot.

“I’m going to give you a piece of advice, because I think you can hack it,” her trainer, a talkative blonde in her thirties named Cindy, said as Lily got ready to leave. The redheaded witch glanced up. “Dress for the guys during the week, but on weekends, cut down on the cleavage. We get more women in Friday through Sunday nights than men.”

Lily almost laughed, but nodded. “Got it. Thanks.”

“Thank you. If you manage to keep out of the bullshit drama between the rest of the girls, I bet you’ll do great.”

By the time she’d worked another six shifts, two dinners and four lunches, Lily felt like she had finally found not only a respectable job, but one that she could thrive at. Unless she dropped dead from exhaustion, of course.

At the end of her fourth working day she got back to her flat just after lunch, take out and a bottle of wine in hand, she wanted nothing more than to soak in a steaming hot bath for a bit, drink some wine, and then pig out on fish and chips from the little stand in Diagon Alley. Instead she came face to face with Teddy Lupin, and the words tumbled unchecked from her mouth. “What the bleeding fuck are _you_ doing here?”

The Metamorphmagus scowled. “Were you expecting someone else?” he demanded, following her inside after she unlocked the door. Lily rolled her eyes.

“I was expecting nobody to be here at all,” she snapped back. And with a surge of jealousy that had her slamming the fridge after putting her wine in to chill, added viciously, “How’s Victoire?”

Teddy’s mouth hardened. “I don’t know. I’ve been on assignment for the last three days straight,” he said bitterly. He didn’t add that even before that, he seemed to see his technical girlfriend less and less. And anytime he did see her, she was so painfully perky and sweet and unquenchably smug, he found himself making excuses not to see her.

“And what?” Lily sneered. “You thought you could just turn up here and I’d be ready and waiting for you? I haven’t heard from you in two fucking weeks, Lupin,” she snarled. He pushed a hand through his hair. “You should probably just fucking go. I’m tired,” Lily said, biting her lip to stay the stupid urge to cry. She’d quit her job, risked her savings she’d sold her body and soul for, and put her personal life goals on the line, all to prove to Teddy she was willing to do whatever it took to be with him. And he couldn’t even send her a fucking owl, in _two whole weeks_.

“Do you want me to go?” Teddy asked harshly, and Lily put her food on the counter and turned away to get a fork.

“Obviously,” she said with a brave attempt at condescension, even as she was sure her heart broke. She had almost known, all along, Teddy would pick Victoire over her. Had told herself repeatedly, with cool logic, there was only ever sex between them as far as he was concerned. But her stupid, foolish heart had gone on hoping, and now it was broken. Just like last time. “Tell Vic when you get home that I didn’t get the place,” Lily added quietly. “Turns out it was already promised to someone else.”

She heard the Metamorphmagus pause just inside her tiny kitchen, and she chanced a glance over her shoulder at him. He was facing her, looking thunderous, and although she was furious, her heart rate kicked up and she felt something, some wicked heat, slither to life in her belly as Teddy stared at her. “No,” he said. Lily’s mouth parted. “I’m not going home to Vic,” he said darkly, amber eyes roving down her frame with intimate knowledge.

“Has she finally figured out you make a shit boyfriend?” Lily asked nastily.

Teddy smirked a little at that, because all of a sudden, it clicked for him. Victoire Weasley was as cunning as she was beautiful, and Ted Lupin had no doubts she was putting him through the payback from Hell. He’d just been too cocky to realize it. From that first morning where she’d told him she wanted to remain celibate while they fixed their broken relationship, and she’d undoubtedly known he was a liar and cheat of the worst degree, Vic had probably been playing him for the fool. “Probably,” he finally admitted. Lily’s brows shot up.

“Do you think I want those sloppies?” Lily said pointedly, and the turquoise haired wizard frowned. “And stop staring at me like that!” she added, snapping and blushing the tiniest bit.

Teddy couldn’t help himself. She was way too sexy in her little black tee and push up bra, and he’d gone two whole fucking weeks without her. It was a self inflicted purgatory, sure, but it had still been torture. “I can’t help it, sweetheart. I fucking love your tits.”

Lily’s mouth pursed, but he saw her suck in a sharp breath. “Should’ve thought about that before you ignored me for two weeks.” She swallowed, even as Teddy scowled, hating that it was true. “Look,” Lily said, breath huffing out, “if you want to get back together with Victoire or whatever, I need to know that, because I…” She looked down, and Teddy held his breath, on tenterhooks. “I don’t want anything from you anymore if you’re going to be with her.”

Teddy could barely breathe. He definitely couldn’t move, especially not to formulate coherent thoughts into audible words. It was happening. Lily was going to move on, and if he was going to actually commit to the witch he’d spent almost half his life dating, he would have nothing but memories of her. _Fight for her_. It was the only rational thought in Teddy’s mind, even as Lily’s lower lip wobbled before his eyes, and she turned away again. “Will you give me a chance if I… If I’m single, do I have a proper chance?”

Lily glanced back at him. “You might even have the edge,” she replied, and then turned away again, and Teddy felt the dismissal. He had to nut up or shut up, now. Either he ended his life with Victoire, and possibly broke her heart in the process, or he lost Lily for sure, probably breaking his own heart.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he said softly as he Flooed out of Lily’s apartment and over to his own flat. To his surprise, Toby was there, with Victoire, and the pair were glaring daggers at one another. Well, Vic was glaring, and Toby was staring vacantly back. “Whoa,” the Metamorphmagus said, pausing after stepping from his fireplace. “What the-?”

“You should come sit down, Ted,” Victoire said from his kitchen, and Toby pulled a face. The Auror inside Teddy, the training that had become ingrained in him, sensed he was treading in dangerous waters. Because Toby looked put out, and Vic looked quietly furious.

“What’s going on?” he said frankly after sitting, easing his wand out of his pocket under the table.

“I’ve just had a chat with your ‘friend’. Haven’t I, Tobias?” the blonde witch said with frosty poise.

“I think I did more of the chatting,” Toby said truthfully, and Teddy’s belly dropped.

“You did,” Victoire said. She looked back at Teddy, blue eyes hard. “Guess what we talked about, Ted?” she said, and Teddy gulped, because he could just fucking guess.

“Shit that’s probably not your business,” he replied evenly. Victoire smiled.

“I’d tell you that fucking a _whore_ while cheating makes you a despicable human being, but I reckon you already knew that. It’s definitely my business.” Her lip suddenly curled. “You’ve been cheating this whole time, haven’t you?” she asked. Teddy didn’t reply. “Are you still paying her for it?” Victoire asked, spitting the words out.

Teddy scowled, even as he felt himself wanting to blush. He pushed through his mortification. “That’s also none of your fucking business,” he said coldly, hating that Victoire was being a bitch, even though part of him conceded she was way more than entitled to be. “But no.” He glanced at Toby, who was gazing out the window. “What did you give him?” he demanded. He knew Victoire Weasley was a top-notch potioneer, and he didn’t doubt she’d poison Toby to get secrets from him.

“We had a drink. Didn’t we, Tobias?” she said.

“Yeah we did,” Toby said pleasantly. “Never thought I’d be having tea with your ball and chain, Teddy ol’ boy, but there you fucking go. I mean, she’s annoying, and bitchy, but she makes a mean cuppa, and looks fucking gorgeous doing it, mate.”

_Shit_. Victoire smiled. “So I suppose there’s just one thing left to talk about, Ted,” Victoire said, standing up from his table and squaring her shoulders, moving to face him as he did the same. Her face hardened and he could tell she was trying to muster her bravery and telling herself he deserved to be hurt by her.

“You’re right, Vic,” he said, then tilted his head a little, because she still looked capable of vindictiveness, even though her blue eyes seemed hesitant. Teddy decided to make it easier for her. “How long have you been seeing him?”

The blonde witch’s mouth parted. “You bastard!” she hissed. “Takes a cheater to know a cheater?” she snapped.

Teddy shrugged. “You didn’t cheat, Vic. Don’t sell yourself short. I hope he’s a better wizard than I.”

Victoire Weasley looked like she’d been punched. “Oh hell no! You don’t get to break up with me! I’m dumping your ass. You’re a piece of shit,” she said passionately.

Teddy chewed on the truth, then swallowed it back. “You have no idea, Vic. And even if you don’t believe it now, I truly hope you find the wizard you needed me to be.”

Victoire sniffed, and then stalked to his fireplace to Floo home. “Me too,” she said, looking back at last, and for a beat, her face softened out of her scowl. “And because I’m still a better person than you, I dosed Toby with Veritaserum. It should wear off in about a half hour, so if you want anything from him, now’s a good time.” And then Victoire Weasley picked up a handful of Floo powder, and stepped into his fireplace, calling out her own address and leaving his life for good.

Teddy merely stared as the emerald green flames died down and then shook himself and went back to the kitchen. “So Toby, ‘ol buddy of mine, what precisely did you chat to Vic about?”

“I told her you hooked up a couple times with that sexy redhead with the great legs from the club,” Toby said, and chuckled. “Honestly, mate, even though you were disguised, I’m surprised you pulled her.”

The turquoise haired wizard didn’t smile back, and Toby stopped chuckling. “What else?” he demanded.

“Nothing. Other than you fucking that redhead. Say, we should go out to-”

“No,” Teddy interrupted his best mate. “I have to go to Sunday dinner with the Potters.” He looked at his friend, but decided not to take advantage of him any further. “Go home, Toby, and don’t talk to anyone. Just go take a nap or something.”

Instantly Toby looked suspicious. “Why?” he demanded. “I’m not tired. And why shouldn’t I talk to anyone?”

The Metamorphmagus debated lying, but then gave his best friend the truth. “Vic gave you Veritaserum. And it was probably laced with a sedative, because mate, you fucking had _tea_ with her.”

Toby stood up. “I knew it! That bitch! Good thing she dumped your ass, because I never fucking liked her, Ted.”

Teddy rolled his eyes, but moved to the living room. “Go home, Toby.”

“And don’t talk to anyone,” the dark eyed wizard grumbled, then grabbed a handful of Floo powder and left. Teddy sank down into his couch and sighed, unable to stop thinking about Lily. Godric, he fucking wanted her.

For two weeks he’d tried to convince himself he didn’t need her. That he didn’t roll over every morning and reach into empty air for her, and that he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night after vivid, erotic dreams of just how she could pleasure him. And most of all, Teddy tried for two long, agonizing weeks, to convince himself that he had no feelings, except lust, for Lily Potter. That he didn’t want to wake up beside her every morning, or fall asleep with her every night, and that he definitely _did not_ feel something like love for her.

And for two weeks, those two excruciating weeks that had dragged by, and during which he’d only seen Victoire twice, both times only briefly, he’d spent his hours dreaming of Lily, missing Lily, and working with a determination to ignore his misery. But on the fourteenth morning, when he’d woken up harder and hornier for Lily then ever, and found nothing, he’d been unable to bear it. He needed her, and longed for her, and Merlin fucking curse it all to hell, he might even love her.

And now he had to go to Sunday dinner and sit across from her, and stare at her as he pretended she didn’t want him, at least naked and in bed if not more, and put himself through more misery. Teddy sighed, pushed both hands through his vibrant hair, and then got up to take a shower and get dressed for Sunday dinner. He felt bad, having missed two in a row, because he knew Ginny Potter liked him to be present and most especially because he’d spent last week on a half hour date with Victoire, where she talked enthusiastically about her work, and he’d said almost nothing.

By the time he’d Apparated to the Potters’ and let himself inside, Teddy was just about ready to eat an expired Puking Pastille to get out of possibly seeing Lily. He had no idea if he could look at her, knowing he was half in love with her and becoming desperate to have her, and not simply blurt it all out loud. But then six o’clock came, dinner was served, and Lily, to his confusion, still wasn’t there. He resisted the urge to ask why.

Luckily, James Potter asked it for him. “No Lily, again?” he said, glancing at his mother shrewdly, even as dessert was served.

“She’s working,” Ginny said, frowning a tiny bit. “Although I think it might be a bit too much, lately. She was always here, at least once in a while, before. Now I barely even hear from her,” she complained.

“Probably working on her big mysterious ‘real job’ thing,” Albus said dismissively, and Teddy wondered if that could be it.

“So, Teddy what’s new with you?” James asked, looking at his god-brother with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Albus smirked identically, and Teddy wondered what the bloody hell those two could look so pleased about.

“Same ol’ same,” he said, then glanced at his godfather, and superior. He knew he wasn’t allowed to talk about work, and didn’t doubt the Potter boys knew it too, and wondered what they were getting at.

“How’s Vic?” Albus pushed.

“Oh yes, how is Victoire? I saw her out in Diagon Alley the other day, but I didn’t have a chance to stop and say hello to her,” Ginny said. “She was at the apothecary right near Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, talking to the owner’s son. He’s a nice boy, very helpful whenever I go in.”

Teddy felt himself starting to blush a tiny bit, because that obviously explained who Victoire had found to replace him in the boyfriend department. “I never liked that guy,” he said automatically, because he’d flirted with Victoire more than once, even when Teddy had been present, although the blonde witch had shrugged off Teddy’s suspicions as mere jealousy. And unfounded jealousy, at that.

Ginny rolled her eyes, smiling, but then James said, looking too innocently confused, “Why not? Thaddeus Nott seems an okay bloke,” he said.

Albus cleared his throat pointedly. “Jamie, that was before he stole Teddy’s witch.”

“Ah yes, I almost forgot,” James said. Teddy scowled at the pair of them, because he hadn’t wanted to talk to his godparents about splitting with their niece. And he knew Harry would demand a why and Ginny would want to know exactly what had fallen apart in their seemingly ideal relationship. After all, he was sure most of the Weasley clan and its many extensions had assumed they’d be married by now. _Those little fuckers are dead meat_.

“What?” Ginny said, dropping her fork. Teddy winced then peeked at his godfather, who’d frozen. “You and Victoire-?” The redheaded witch seemed unable to say the words aloud.

The Metamorphmagus sighed, sitting back, feeling inherently guilty. Maybe if he played things off like it had been an amicable split, his almost family wouldn’t entirely loathe him. And in the gathering silence as Ginny Potter waited for a response to her unasked question and Harry Potter stared at him searchingly, there was the unmistakable sound of the front door opening and closing, and then Lily Potter all but skipped into the kitchen, looking utterly ravishing and like she couldn’t be more pleased with herself. She paused behind her empty chair at the tense silence around the table.

“Oh Godric, what’s going on?” Lily asked slowly, and by her deer in the headlights look, Teddy guessed she was thinking the worst. That her family had somehow found out about her past employment.

“Teddy was just about to tell us why Victoire’s dating someone else,” Albus said casually.

“She’s dating someone else?” Ginny repeated, looking sternly at Teddy now. “Oh Teddy, what happened?”

The turquoise haired wizard didn’t dare look at Lily, and tried not to scowl. “Vic and I… She dumped me.” The words cost him a small amount of pride, but he said them, because he at least owed the blonde witch that much. “We’ve been rocky for awhile,” he continued, now staring at his plate, not wanting to eat another bite. “And we both just kind of realized we want different things,” he said pragmatically, and silence descended over the Potter table.

Lily broke the spell by dropping heavily into her seat, feeling her joyous mood flattening faster than a Pygmy Puff being stepped on. She’d been having _such_ a good day, and now… Now she had to go and find out things like Teddy Lupin was apparently a single, free agent. And Lily didn’t like at all how much that felt like just the right ending to make things a _great_ day, because, looking around the table, it seemed obvious her parents and brothers wouldn’t agree.

“What on earth does that even mean?” Ginny asked, sounding exasperated. “How don’t you two want the same things?” she continued, even as Teddy’s brows pulled together, hair darkening a little.

“I don’t think-” Teddy mumbled, but Lily couldn’t hold her tongue.

She interrupted the Metamorphmagus, saying firmly, “That’s none of your business, Mum. It’s not any of our business how his relationship ended, but I thought family was supposed to always be there for one another. Isn’t that what you said, Mum?” She looked at her father, who nodded ever so slightly.

“I still don’t think-” Ginny pushed, but Teddy shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Mum,” he murmured, watching Ginny’s chocolate brown eyes soften at the old title he’d bestowed on her, before he’d ever known he was different from the Potters. “I don’t really feel comfortable talking about it.”

“You don’t have to,” Lily declared, and Teddy shot her a small, grateful smile.

Albus and James, both of whom looked a little disgruntled they wouldn’t be able to needle their god brother over his lack of relationship anymore, glanced at one another, and by unspoken agreement, shifted gears. “So tell me, Lils,” Albus said, spearing a bite of cake, “how’s work?”

The redhead shrugged, even as she made herself a plate. “It’s okay,” she said. “The hours are long, the pay isn’t great, and I’ve been hit on four times in the last two days, but all in all, it’s not bad.”

“And how’s your secretive little personal project?” James pushed.

“Great,” Lily said, unable to hold back her smile.

“Are you ready to tell us about it yet, honey?” Ginny asked, obviously still ruffled she couldn’t get all the gory details of Teddy and Victoire’s split.

“What do you mean you’ve been hit on four times in the last two days?” the Metamorphmagus asked, trying to rein in his temper that flared, seeing faceless men eyeing up the witch he had been thinking of almost nonstop, despite breaking up with another woman less than a fortnight ago.

Lily didn’t even looking at him. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to tell you all. But, I promise Mum, when I am, I’ll come by straight away. I think you’re actually going to be quite pleased,” she said, beaming, and looking gorgeous enough to Teddy it was almost painful. But he couldn’t smile with her, like Ginny did, because she hadn’t bothered answering his question

“So tell us, sister,” James said, glancing sidelong at Teddy, “are you, now that it seems there are wizards alive who don’t find you revolting, finally going to hook up with someone?”

The turquoise haired wizard frowned, but Lily shrugged. “Who knows,” she replied, then glanced at Harry Potter, who was also frowning, and chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll bring my next unfortunate victim home for an interrogation before it gets serious.”

“I’m not saying-” Harry protested weakly, “I just mean… I’d rather you focus on yourself, and your own goals, honey.”

Ginny smiled at her daughter, patting her hand. “Your father doubts any wizard will ever be good enough for you.”

“When he should be thinking vice versa,” Albus muttered into his pudding, and winced as Lily kicked him under the table.

Hazel eyes lifted and locked onto smoldering amber ones, even as a slow smile curved Lily’s mouth. “Maybe we’ll all be surprised,” she said, and then purposely asked James how wedding planning was going, and why he hadn’t brought his fiancee to dinner again, purposely avoiding meeting Teddy’s gaze the rest of the night, scared she’d give herself, and her blossoming feelings for him, away completely.

XXX


	10. Chapter 10

XXX

One Month Later

“Damn, mate, who the hell was the babe?” Toby asked, after Teddy’s front door had closed behind Lily, who’d bid her secret lover and even more secret boyfriend of sorts goodbye as soon as he’d answered his door to Toby thirty seconds ago.

“None of your business,” Teddy replied easily, going to the fridge to get them beers.

Toby’s dark brows lifted as he flopped onto the couch, and Teddy shoved a hand through his too-long turquoise hair. “So you’re fucking her?” Toby asked, settling into the cushions and propping his feet up leisurely on the coffee table. Amber eyes rolled.

“You’ve a one track mind, my friend,” Teddy said dismissively, joining his longtime friend.

Toby chuckled. “Too true,” he conceded. “So if you’re not fucking her, that begs the question, mate; who is she?”

“If you _must_ know,” Teddy said casually, “she’s my godfather’s daughter.” Both of Toby’s brows shot up and the Metamorphmagus snickered as his friend choked on his mouthful of beer.

“Holy shit, _that’s_ Little Lily Potter?” he demanded. Teddy nodded. “Not so little after all, then,” he mumbled as Teddy took a couple long swallows of his drink. “Honestly, I thought you were going to tell me it was that girl from the club.” Now it was Teddy’s turn to choke. “I mean, the hair was almost spot on.” Teddy said nothing, not wishing to implicate his almost-girlfriend in any sort of scandal. “Then again,” Toby said, grinning, “if it were that tasty witch, I’d bet you wouldn’t be so uppity when I asked if you were fucking her.”

_You have no idea_. “If you’re going to try to talk me into going to that brothel again,” Teddy warned, leaving his sentence hanging ominously.

Toby laughed aloud. “Naw, I can tell that split with Vic kind of messed you up, Ted,” Toby said. “You’ve been spending far too many nights home alone, you ask me, but I know better than to try to pull you out of your little fit of the sullens. Besides, soon you’ll realize Vic was pretty, and a great catch, sure, but she was holding you back, man.”

Teddy sighed. “She wasn’t holding me back,” he said. He’d been holding himself back, he now realized. Holding himself back from loving her the way he’d once convinced himself he did, because deep down, he’d _known_ she wanted more from him, and he’d been unable to give it. She wanted security, and a solid commitment to the world, that he valued her above all others. And Teddy hadn’t been able, whether through fear, hesitation, or simply not wanting the same things from life as Victoire, or possibly a mix of them all, to grant that. He loved her but he wasn’t in love with Victoire Weasley, and even in the aftermath, he wondered if he ever really had. Either way, he felt mostly just a sense of relief in the aftermath of losing his girlfriend of almost a decade.

“Regardless, mate, good riddance,” Toby said, with nonchalant dismissal of the one woman whom Teddy had considered his other half for almost a third of his life. “Now, with your birthday coming up, we can have a proper celebration.”

Amber eyes rolled again. “A proper celebration?” he drawled disbelievingly, because almost every damn birthday with Toby, Teddy had wound up celebrating hugely.

“Course,” Toby said, and grinned. “We’ll have drinks, and a damn good time, and you won’t have to worry about the bitching the next morning.” He grinned mischievously. “Hell, you should even invite that hot little sister of yours.”

Teddy scowled, not liking the mention that Lily was almost, though certainly _definitely not_ at the same time, his sister. “She’s not my sister, Toby. And I’m not inviting her,” he said darkly.

“Why not, mate? She might still be a young thing, but I wouldn’t say no to a few good rounds with Little Potter. Wait, she is legal, yeah?” Teddy nodded, still scowling. “Thank _fuck_. Seriously, though, hook a mate up. She’s got a slammin’ body, even if I haven’t seen her naked yet.”

Teddy grit his teeth. “You’re not ever going to see her naked,” he growled, trying to hold in his temper.

Toby merely laughed. “I think we’ll let her decide, eh? Besides, even with clothes on, I bet her mouth would look fucking great wrapped around my- _OW_! What the fuck!?” He met furious amber eyes, blazing with anger, and rubbed his arm where his best mate had just slugged him, hard enough to probably bruise. “Fucking hell, Ted, I was just saying-”

“Stop talking, Tobe,” Teddy snarled. “It will be a cold fucking day in hell, and you’ll step over my dead body, before I _ever_ let you lay a fucking finger on Lily.”

Toby merely stared at him as Teddy took a long, furious pull from his beer. “Holy fuck,” the dark eyed, dark skinned Auror murmured after a beat. Teddy glanced over. “You’re dating her!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Teddy snapped. The turquoise haired wizard couldn’t meet his friend’s gaze, though, knowing all too well that he was indeed fucking the shit out of Little Lily Potter. And, more than that, he was falling hard and fast and with terrifying completeness for her in bed, and every other facet of the gorgeous redhead.

They’d been seeing one another, on the down low and without telling anyone else, for a little over a month now, and, for the Metamorphmagus, it was going great. Of course, while Teddy knew that to go public, and possibly even come clean about his relationship with Lily, to their family and friends, would be disastrous, he found that he was hoping more and more it would happen. He wanted to let it slip that he knew her as more than a not-quite brother and almost-friend.

Lily, he knew, wasn’t at all comfortable with the thought of telling everyone they were seeing one another more than strictly platonically. Hell, even when they’d both been at the Potter house for Sunday dinner the week prior, she’d barely looked at him, let alone had a proper conversation with him. And Teddy couldn’t help but wonder just what was holding her back. Even if they never mentioned how she’d been the woman he’d cheated on Victoire with, and that the ever-developing feelings he had for her were the reason he and Vic had split, and _even if_ no one ever found out they’d had their little affair going for months, Teddy didn’t know why, now, at that moment, Lily still almost insisted on utter secrecy.

“Be straight with me,” Toby demanded. “Look me in the eye, Lupin, and tell me why you just acted like a jealous wizard with some prick honing in on his witch if you’re not at least fucking Little Lily Potter.”

“It’s none of your damn business-” Teddy began, glaring at his best friend, but Toby simply shook his head, looking shocked.

“You are. Damn it, Teddy, is that sexy little witch the real reason you’ve been hiding away every evening and weekend for the last few weeks?” Suddenly a wide smile split the dark skinned wizard’s face, and he began laughing. “Teddy, you sly bastard, I almost can’t believe it!”

Teddy didn’t laugh. He knew there was no way he’d convince Toby what he thought wasn’t true, most especially because it _was_ , so the Metamorphmagus went into damage control mode. “Yeah, well, if you tell another living soul, I’ll murder you in your bed.”

Toby rolled dark eyes in response to the threat upon his life, then smirked again, making Teddy feel distinctly guilty. “Sure thing, Ted. I won’t tell a soul you’ve been shagging your ex’s littlest cousin since Vic ditched you.”

Teddy scowled. “You’d better not,” he growled, taking another long pull from his beer.

“Am I also keeping quiet about Little Potter’s other dirty little secret, besides you?” Toby asked after a long moment, and Teddy froze.

“What other-?” he began, trying for vaguely interested ignorance. His best friend wasn’t buying it.

“C’mon, Teddy. She looks almost exactly like the witch you shagged silly at the club. Coincidence you’re now shagging another leggy, smoking hot redhead that looks pretty damn similar below the neck? Not if I know you, mate.” Teddy scowled at that, and opened his mouth to snap back that Toby could fuck right off, because there was _no way_ Lily had ever worked at a bloody brothel, but the darker haired wizard wasn’t finished. “You’ve gotten attached to her, haven’t you?” he asked knowingly.

That rendered Teddy entirely speechless. “I…” He tried to force his tongue to tell Toby he might fancy Lily in his bed, but not much beyond that, even if he’d be lying through his teeth, but the words wouldn’t come.

Toby chuckled, shaking his head and taking another drink of beer, then clinking his bottle against Teddy’s. “Cheers, mate. Even if I think you’re barking for sticking to the same witch for longer than the weekend, I hope Little Lily works out better for you than her big cousin.”

Teddy could only nod, and took a drink with Toby. After he found his voice, he finally said, “You seriously can’t tell anyone, though, mate.” Toby looked over at him questioningly. “It’s… It’s kind of complicated, and…” He gestured vaguely when he couldn’t find the right words to say, but his friend simply nodded.

“Sure thing, Lupin,” he said easily, and held his hand out to shake. Teddy grasped it like a drowning man grasps a life raft. “And you’ll owe me one,” he added, then released Teddy, who rolled amber eyes once more.

“Prick,” he grumbled, knowing Toby would try to wriggle some benefit from his act of charity for a friend.

“Don’t ever forget it. And you can pay me back by having Little Potter invite as many hot, single friends she has to your birthday party, old chap.”

Teddy finished his beer. “You’re a shite friend.”

“And I’m all yours,” Toby shot back, grinning, at least until Teddy slugged him on the arm again.

By the time his birthday did roll around a couple weeks later, Teddy was dreading whatever Toby had planned, and nervous about being around Lily, being possibly close to her and yet unable to reach out and touch her. And after the day he’d had at work, he wasn’t precisely in the mood for a party. But he knew at least part of what was to come, and braced himself for it when he opened his front door.

Teddy hated that his eyes immediately darted to his couch in the lounge, and when he spotted a pair of long, creamy smooth legs draped over the arm and he felt himself getting turned on, he was secretly thanking Toby for the birthday gift. His best mate had dubbed it the ‘getting ready’ phase, after which he was to Apparate with his gift in tow to his favourite bar. Teddy now realized why Toby had said to go at ten, leaving hours for ‘getting ready’. And why he’d said not to worry about being late if he got too involved with his gift.

When Teddy moved closer, he smiled slowly. Because there, lying on his couch was Lily, looking lovely as ever and sleeping soundly. He couldn’t resist the urge to touch her, here, where he didn’t have to pretend he didn’t want her in every possible way. His fingers brushed softly, gently, along her hairline, thumb brushing her cheek. His palm cupped her jaw reverently, and he sighed, leaning into her neck on the other side, pressing his face into her smooth skin and simply inhaling the perfect essence of her, feeling himself calm down slowly as he breathed next to the redheaded witch he’d simply lusted after before he’d fallen in love with.

“You’re home,” Lily murmured, turning her head toward him, smiling even though her eyes were still closed, voice gravelly with sleep.

“I am,” Teddy agreed, pulling back enough to kiss Lily’s tempting mouth lightly.

“About time,” the redhead murmured, and stretched languidly, brilliant hazel eyes finally opening properly. “I fell asleep,” she said unnecessarily. Teddy grinned back at her.

“I see,” he replied huskily, wanting her with the same fierce hunger he’d felt upon first meeting her. The delicious smell of her skin, the taste of her kisses, and most of all, the feeling of her perfect body moving in time with his as he fucked her into oblivion just like the first time he’d ever met her at that Godric forsaken fucking club. _Shit, I’m in so deep_.

“Your friend Toby told me I was supposed to be your birthday surprise,” Lily continued, still smiling and looking, to Teddy, like a goddess.

“Apparently so,” the Metamorphmagus replied, smiling wider still as Lily’s arms twined with well-practiced ease around his neck, pulling him down and into a hot, hungry kiss. “A very nice gift at that, as far as birthday presents from Toby go anyway,” he added, pausing between kisses, unable to resist sliding a hand down her chest to cup her breast.

“Mmm, I do aim to please,” she said, pushing him back to sit up. “Lucky your friend knew just what you wanted, isn’t it?” she added with a lifted brow, and even though she was lightly chastising in her tone, Teddy looked unrepentant as he grinned broadly, crouched beside his own couch.

“He happens to be notably depraved,” the Metamorphmagus replied casually. “Makes sense he’d find the sexiest witch of age in England and persuade her sleep with me for my birthday.”

Lily grinned and pulled her black sequined blouse over her head, revealing her deliciously perfect breasts and tempting, rosy nipples, beading in the cool air of his flat, and he instinctively licked his lips, even as his cock twitched excitedly in his trousers. When she swung her legs over the side of his sofa, topless and still smiling, her hazel eyes promising pleasure, he stood up from where he’d half crouched, half sat on the couch beside her, pulling Lily up against him as she stood in the next beat. “Then I suppose you’d best take me to bed to make sure I measure up to the depravity of your friend’s expectations,” Lily purred, kissing her way up his neck and jaw, and Teddy groaned a little.

“Why not right here, sweetheart?” Teddy purred, hands smoothing up sensual and slow from where he grasped her buttocks, palms gliding with ease over her hips then further up to her waist, gripping her flesh with hungered reverence.

Lily arched invitingly into him as her body rolled seductively, seeking friction he was almost painfully eager to provide. “We both know if you want anything other than me riding your lap, we’re going to need more room,” Lily replied, the fingers of one hand tangling into the longest part his turquoise hair. The Metamorphmagus hissed as she clenched her hand into a fist around his locks when his fingers ghosted up far enough to tease a nipple through the sheer lace of her bra. “ _Fuck_ ,” she grunted in a breathy moan against his neck as he rolled the sensitive nub of flesh between his fingers abruptly, her sleek curves melting against him, clinging to him without a breath of space between them. “And trust me, Lupin,” she purred, and tossed her long, unruly mane of hair then looked up at him through heavy lidded hazel eyes, “you’re going to want all the room you can get when this,” he fingers ghosted over his prick in his jeans, “is fucking me in the ass.”

Teddy was pretty positive he wouldn’t make it to fucking Lily’s hot, tight little ass if he didn’t get his Godric be fucking thrice damned jeans off, because they were going to maim his cock if Lily insisted on groping it before he’d even taken it out. “Lead the way, sweetheart,” he growled, spanking her firmly while he still held her, then released his redheaded lover and turned her in the direction of her bedroom as his hands dropped to his pants.

Lily glanced around even as he pulled his cock, with a groan of glorious freedom, from the confines of his jeans and underwear, and he stroked it a couple times for her viewing pleasure, the hot, excited line of him making hazel eyes go wide. She dropped to her knees before Teddy knew what was happening, and he groaned as her oh so _fucking_ soft hands found his heated length, easily taking over his hungry stroking rhythm. “Mmm, it _is_ your birthday,” she said, and he groaned again, having to grit his teeth even as she smiled angelically after she licked the weeping slit at the very tip of his glans. “And we’ve _plenty_ of time I’d wager,” she added in that husky, gravelly voice that had done him in that very first night, getting comfortable on her knees, licking the head of his prick again then humming as she brushed her parted lips over the sensitized flesh. “What’s the hurry, sweetheart?” she purred, suckling him far to briefly and then pulling back. Amber eyes met hazel as he looked down at her, hardly aware of burying both hands in her dark red mane, and Lily grinned. “Just one little lick?”

Teddy groaned raggedly as she took him, at last, entirely into her mouth, her cheeks hollowing expertly, as the Metamorphmagus felt his cock sliding into her throat, and he clenched his fists around handfuls of her dark crimson locks, thrusting slow and deep as she sucked him off. He didn’t even try to resist putting his shitty day behind him and losing his mind with the feeling of Lily’s perfect mouth on him. “That’s more than one lick,” he growled several heated moments later, gritting his teeth hard enough he feared cracking them and hissing as she wriggled her tongue against him as she drew back, plump mouth curving with amusement as he tried not to come all over her.

“I’m greedy,” the redheaded witch purred, then rose up, all her tempting curves sliding and brushing over Teddy as she did. “Which I suppose is lucky for you, because I want this cock filling and fucking me into next week.” Her mouth slanted hungrily over his as she lifted onto her toes and pulled him in to snog him. They moaned in tandem as their tongues slid and fought together, and Teddy all but ripped his hands from Lily’s mane to grasp her snug, sexy jeans and yank them forcefully down her hips.

She quickly kicked her jeans free and Teddy didn’t hesitate to send her knickers right down and off in their wake. She gasped when her arse was grasped with decisive hands, but before she could try to undress him in return, Teddy’s mouth was over hers again, kissing her ravenously, and the redheaded witch submitted eagerly as the one wizard she still told herself could never be for keeps carried her easily, hoisting her up against him by the buttocks, toward his bedroom. Lily was all but certain that there was simply no way she could tell a soul about her involvement with Teddy Lupin, because that would end in violence, or worse, she was positive. But she was determined to wring every last drop of satisfaction from whatever time she did have, because she’d fallen so hard there surely had to be a bottom to be hit at some point, and whenever he decided to break it off, she would be utterly devastated. But while she was still free falling, Lily was determined to enjoy it.

“Roll over, sweetheart,” he said gruffly after depositing her on his bed, hastily stripping his own clothes as Lily, licking her lips, watched him. “I know just how much you like being fucked into the mattress, and I want to feel that hot, wet little puss coming around me before I fuck your tight little arse,” he purred, stroking his cock as he took the two small steps to the edge of the bed, Lily, smirking, shifted onto her hands and knees facing him, leaning in to lick another teasing stripe over his dripping erection. Instantly one of his hands fisted in her glorious, dark red mane of hair, and tugging just enough to have her dripping and panting with want.

Hazel eyes wide, pupils blown with desire, she looked up at him, even as he guided her head to the side, away from his cock, and up, to kiss her instead. “Are you sure you don’t want just one more little lick before all that, sweetheart?” she teased.

Teddy grasped Lily’s chin unable to resist grinning. “Are you trying to barter your way into another month of blowjobs whenever I like them, Lily?” he asked, arching a colourful brow at her, loving the way she merely grinned back. “Are you really so greedy for cock?”

The redhead sat up on just her knees, tilting her head back to stare into Teddy’s molten amber eyes, the coil of arousal within tightening at the predatory gaze he fixed her with, knowing just how his hands would feel all over her while he fucked her, eager for those talented fingers to push her over the edge. “Just yours,” she replied, and then Teddy kissed her again, and in a dizzying breath, Lily was on her back, the soft mattress supporting her, and Teddy was stretched out atop her, his pelvis resting temptingly between her thighs, and she moaned into the kiss as he rocked ever so softly against her.

“Fuck, Lily,” he panted, mouth moving down her neck, biting roughly at the supple junction to her shoulder, and Lily moaned again, lifting her hips in a wordless plea as her legs wrapped around him. She moaned louders still as the blunt head of his glans pushed against the soaked entrance to her quim, the hard, velvety smooth flesh easily parting her pussy lips, coating him in her arousal. “So wet,” he groaned around the shape of her nipple.

“Please, Teddy,” she whispered, one hand pushing through his long turquoise hair, the other grasping his bicep with her nails digging into his flesh. “Fuck, _please,_ ” she whimpered, arching again, needing more, utterly pinned beneath his superior size and strength. Lily lifted her head and bit his shoulder, none too gently, watching Teddy’s teeth grit on a hiss, pelvis jerking spasmodically.

“Fuck, you’re so naughty,” he growled, still rocking against her, not quite penetrating, driving Lily mad as he suckled first one hard tipped breast and then the other like a man possessed.

“So punish me,” Lily said huskily as hazel eyes met amber once more, and then she felt like roaring as Teddy finally, without pause, thrust inside her in one long, hard push. “Fu- _uck_ , yes!” she moaned, head thrown back into the mattress, and wriggled, impaled as she was, as Teddy merely waited, buried balls deep within her. “Teddy,” she whined, trying to arch and wriggle, even as he pressed her down. She felt like she was being tortured to the brink of madness as he simply stayed there, holding her captive, his thick length filling her and making her ache for more, harder, faster, _fucking more_!

“Tell me how bad you want it, Lily,” he growled against the shell of her ear, and Lily felt her breathing catch as, slow and deep, he _finally_ began to move within in. It was a steady pulsing beat, only millimeters of movement and just a whisper of the friction Lily was dying for, but the blunt head of his cock tapping just right against her cervix had the redheaded witch racing to completion.

“So bad, so fucking bad, yes, yes _please_ Teddy! Fuck, sweetheart, yes, I want it _so bad_ ,” Lily moaned in a single breath, and roughly pulled the Metamorphmagus down, crashing their mouths together as she whimpered and wriggled beneath him eagerly.

Teddy kept thrusting deep and hard, barely moving even as Lily’s tight sheath fluttered and gripped him enticingly, trying for more, and slowly began to pick up his pace, loving the way she melted beneath him as pleasure began to short out her brain. He spread her thighs further apart with his own, planting his hands on either side of her ribcage and broke from her mouth as she moaned and whimpered, arching into him greedily, and then shifted back to watch himself fucking her, drunk with lust.

“Please, please, please,” Lily was moaning, incoherent with her need, and Teddy grinned down at her, amber eyes burning with his arousal.

“Yes, Lily, that’s it, sweetheart,” he said roughly, quickening his pace ever so slightly, loving the way her breasts bounced and jiggled as he pounded her fast and deep. “I want you to come for me,” he growled, and as her lovely mouth parted, eyes flying wide, he shifted his weight to one hand and brought the other against her, rubbing a slow, teasing circle around her hard little clitoris with the pad of his thumb. “Yes, Lily, come for me,” he demanded, and he thrust harder and faster still, cock buried inside her, heart thumping in time with his pounding tempo, wanting to watch her come undone so he could roll her over for what she’d promised him earlier. He circled her clit again, feeling Lily tense and arch, hazel eyes rolling back in her head as her toes curled and when he flicked that hardened numb of nerve endings with consummate precision of just how to get her there, she came at last, crying out his name and milking him as her pussy clamped down and shivered around him.

Teddy had to bite his lip and pull out, knowing she would push him over the edge, and even as her body slowly began to relax, trembling in the aftershocks, he easily flipped her limp body over and brought her hips up as a wandlessly summoned pillow was jammed under her pelvis. His tongue carried her through the last over the aftershocks, and even as she tried to close her thighs, moaning as he kept licking and sucking at her pussy and clit and pushing her to another orgasm already, his strong hands held her open for him.

“Teddy,” she moaned, arching and stretching, and then spreading herself wider still as his tongue danced up from her quivering, very wet folds to the brown pucker above. Swirling and licking, tasting and invading, his tongue plundered her sweet, perfect arse until Lily was pushing back into his mouth, keening and trembling and pleading incoherently for more.

The turquoise haired wizard, fingers trembling ever so slightly with pent up, restrained need, moved away long enough to calm his libido, that was threatening to end it all before he even started, and snatch up his wand from his jeans pocket. He turned back to Lily, still stretched invitingly out in bed, and groaned, grasping the base of his prick and squeezing at the heady sight of his sexy little witch splayed so wanton and needy, judging by the steady hump of her hips upon his pillow, before him. A quickly muttered Lubrication Charm had Lily moaning into the bedspread, her hips lifting higher into the air, and Teddy climbed up behind the redhead as she rose to her knees, arse tilted up invitingly. “Fuck, tell me what you want to get fucked, sweetheart,” Teddy groaned, even as he eased his prick into the boiled depths of her pussy, coating himself in a gleaming sheen of all natural lube after only a few lazy thrusts that made Lily arch her back further and groan, tossing her wild hair.

“You know what I want fucked now, Lupin,” she growled, and hissed through gritted teeth when he spanked her firmly. “Unh! Don’t get me ready if you’re not going to- _ah_!” She broke off on a gasp as he spanked her again, even as she smiled to herself, burying her face in the soft bedding.

“You want it hard and rough, sweetheart?” Teddy purred, finally pulling out of her pussy entirely, rubbing the head of his throbbing cock over her slightly shiny anus, pushing teasingly. Lily’s breath huffed out in a rough, gravelly moan that sounded almost like a plea for more. “Hmm? Is that want you want, sweetheart? You want me to fuck this hot little ass until I fill it up with come?” Lily moaned louder still at the words, and Teddy saw her knuckles whiten as she gripped his bedspread with terrific force, trying to arch and wriggle her way to more penetration, whining when he kept her from achieving her goal. “Or are you going to keep being a smart mouthed little cock slut who comes before she’s even full?”

Lily moaned, wanting to feel him inside her once more, wanting all the hot raging passion she knew he was capable of, if only to burn away her sins with, loving the way he made her burn with pleasure. “Please, Teddy, please fuck my ass. I need it,” she breathed in a rough, husky voice, and almost died with relief as he began pushing into her in earnest. He didn’t bother to prep her, because he knew she loved the burn as much as she knew he loved that deliciously tight squeeze of first penetration and stretch.

When he had finally filled her to the brim, and buried himself to the hilt, Lily was moaning and trembling and far too close to orgasm to think straight. She barely noticed when Teddy sat them up, but reached an arm back to curl around his neck and head as she began to ride him, slow and deep as he’d just taken her. “Fuck, Lily,” he panted into her ear, and she gasped and writhed as his fingers brushed her clit. It was a heady mess of sensation and fullness and pleasure and Lily felt high on it, stoned on the effect Teddy had one her senses. The wizard could play her better than any skilled musician with his instrument, and even as she felt the pulse of orgasm start to throb within, she was unable to stop the melody of their union.

He rocked up into her, fast and steady, the thudding baseline toward a euphoric crescendo, and, the hot heavy breaths they took were the lyrics to their ballad. And even as Lily felt something inside shift and mold, something break free of the pressure and unleash a storm of pure bliss, she called out the name of the wizard who’d certainly be her downfall and lost herself to the best orgasm of her life.

XXX


	11. Chapter 11

XXX

It was less than a fortnight later that the Burrow was, once again, playing host to all and sundry of the various Weasley relations, even those not quite related by blood. Teddy Lupin had just arrived after he’d been invited by both his semi-girlfriend and godparents to a picnic lunch to celebrate Lucy Warrington (nee Weasley)’s, impending birth in seven and a half months or so.

“Ah, Teddy, just the wizard I was hoping to see,” said Molly Weasley, glancing up almost the instant Teddy had passed her by after using the single loo at the Burrow, and poked his head into the kitchen where the woman he’d long considered his grandmother was at work, even when his biological one had still been alive, and smiled politely.

“Something you needed, Mrs. Weasley?” he asked, stepping into the homey, well loved kitchen he’d eaten in as a child and received more than one scolding in to boot. The near constant hum of activity in that busy and undoubtedly worn space was a still wonder to Teddy as an adult, that Molly Weasley had magic enough to make _everything_ work in perfect tandem, and he was as awed as an adult as he'd been as a child.

“Yes, dear. Come in, come in. Pass me that bowl, would you?” Molly Weasley said, flicking her fingers at a shelf behind Teddy, and he passed her a massive glass bowl that had a self-stirring spoon and appeared to contain sugar and various spices.

“Anything else you needed?” he asked, knowing full well his almost-grandmother would have summoned the bowl in a heartbeat without even sparing a thought for it. Obviously Molly wanted words with him, and he braced for the uncomfortable questions about why he and Victoire, her eldest biological grandchild and an obvious favourite for the matriarch, were no longer together.

“When do you plan to tell everyone?” Molly Weasley asked calmly, watching over a massive, exuberant knife that hacked up apples from the orchard efficiently on her huge wooden cutting board.

“Tell everyone wh-?” he began nonchalantly, but then Molly looked up at him, wiping her hands on her apron and grasping the huge knife from the air. Her chocolate brown eyes bored into him with a determined, utterly knowing sort of stare, and he felt as if he was standing naked with all of his secrets stripped of him and laid out for Molly Weasley to see, and he cringed a little.

“We both know what, Ted Lupin.” Molly was still staring at him with that knowing stare, and the Metamorphmagus knew exactly what she was talking about. And it _certainly_ wasn’t to do with her eldest grandchild, and most definitely with the youngest. Teddy fought the urge to cringe again, because this was not how he’d anticipated telling anyone.

Teddy felt his heart racing, even as his face paled and he gulped guiltily. There was simply no lying to the formidable witch that was Molly Weasley. Hell, she’d killed Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts after the crazy bitch murdered his parents for Merlin’s sake! Teddy had always known, and felt instinctively, that there was no way he’d ever be able to lie to Molly Weasley, or do anything but confess the truth.

But instead of confessing the truth, like he was thoroughly tempted to do, Teddy let his Auror instincts take over.

“Why do you ask?” he questioned lightly, pitching his tone soft and curious. Molly’s brown eyes, crinkled with age but sharp as ever, regarded him seriously.

“Because it’s obvious to any who bother to look you’re interested in my granddaughter,” Molly replied shrewdly, even as the flurry of pie-making, controlled by wandless, ancient magic Ted was positive he could never master, continued around them. He was tempted to probe which granddaughter the older witch referred to, but bit his tongue.

“Maybe,” he hedged, “but it’s not precisely anyone else’s business, now is it?”

Molly tutted, then sent the large knife to the sink to be washed, snapping her fingers to send the chopped apples to a massive bowl behind her. Cinnamon and brown sugar and a secret blend of other spices soared over to dump themselves into the bowl with another flick of the witch’s fingers. “Do you love her?” she asked after a long moment where Teddy simply watched in awe, like he’d done as a little kid on visits to the Burrow.

At the question, and the lifted brow Molly shot him when he didn’t immediately respond, Teddy’s face began to flood with pink. “I- I, er, well- I mean, that’s to say-”

“So you do,” Molly said, cutting across his flustered stuttering matter of factly.

“Look, Mrs. Weasley,” Teddy tried again after clearing his throat awkwardly, but Molly glared once more. “Nan,” he amended, “it’s complicated.”

“Most matters of the heart are,” the elder witch agreed. “But I’ll give you the same advice I gave your mother in this very kitchen too many years ago, Teddy.” She looked at him almost sternly, but her face was warmed with a motherly smile as she reached out and patted his hand with her gnarled, flour covered one. “If you’re not afraid to feel it, why not tell the world, hmm?”

“She won’t-” Teddy admitted, feeling very much like a kid again as Molly chuckled at him, patting his hand again.

“I’m sure you’re both worried about the reaction from us Weasleys, dear,” she said, turning away, much to Teddy’s relief, because her knowing, warm stare was thoroughly unnerving, “which proves you’re both astute enough to know us Weasleys tend to get hot headed from time to time, especially when things we’ve accepted as the norm change.” She glanced knowingly back at the young Metamorphmagus, smirking. “But my dear boy, we all saw Victoire’s date, after all. We might be upset at change, but Weasleys always adapt.” Teddy nodded, still privately thinking Lily would never be able to tell her family they were once upon a time seeing one another romantically, let alone even want to talk to him again. “And don’t forget that even though she’s not a Weasley by name, Lily is still one of us, Teddy.” And with a wink, she turned back to her work, now laying her flawless pastry into dishes.

“Thanks, Nan,” he said, smiling a little now. Because if that didn’t mean he had to make his stance clear, to not just Lily, but the world, he know what it could mean. Teddy was certain he’d never be happy unless he tried to make it work with Lily, and gave her his all, the way he’d wanted and been half-afraid, after his split with Vic, to do. But Teddy wasn’t going to let guilt hold him back any longer. He all but ran from the homey, well worn kitchen of the Burrow and out into the back yard, coming up short at the mass of mostly red haired witches and wizards. “Shit,” he breathed rethinking his strategy, and then started forward again, looking instead for Roxanne Weasley, who was not only much easier to spot, but would undoubtedly know where Lily had gone.

“Teddy!” Fred Weasley called, waving him over from Teddy’s peripherals, and when the Metamorphmagus turned his head properly to decline, he spotted both the witch he’d been searching for originally and her much more easily distinguishable cousin.

Right there stood Roxanne and Lily both, but Teddy found his gaze couldn’t move once it landed on the lithe redhead. All at once his pulse sped up, even as his heart seemed to float upward in his chest to choke him, his stomach flipping around the extra space. She was so beautiful in her little white lace crop top and the dark jeans that hugged every last one of her curves and fit like a second skin over her miles long legs, her lovely hair curling and waving everywhere and begging for his hands to be buried within. And then she smiled at him, cocking a brow.

“Everything alright, Lupin?” she asked casually, her tone politely impersonal. He both saw and felt her hazel eyes rake over his somewhat tousled hair, the way he drew sharp, impatient breaths from hurrying, and the wild look he knew would be in his amber, almost wolf-like eyes.

“I need to talk to you for a second,” he replied flatly, and, not caring that she probably wouldn’t like it, grasped her by the hand.

“Sure,” she said through gritted teeth, subtly trying to tug her hand away. “Excuse us just a second, Rox.”

The redhead let Teddy lead her away, even though she was furious. “Teddy,” she growled as they finally stopped in the middle of the lawn. “What are you doing?” she hissed, hazel eyes flashing. “Are you _trying_ to-?”

“We both know I don’t give a damn,” he replied, and Lily’s mouth pursed. “I don’t want to pretend I barely fucking know you anymore, anytime I’m near any member of your family, Lily,” he replied. He opened his mouth to add the three words he wanted so badly to say but hadn’t ever found the courage to, but Lily beat him to the punch.

“Well I do give a damn, and I don’t want everyone to know-” The redhead abruptly stopped talking, and sighed heavily, looking down.

“Know what?” Teddy asked in a low voice. “Know that you’re seeing me?” He didn’t have to say the rest. The words, unspoken as they were, still hit home to Lily. _Or know that you might just be happy, and make me happy, and we’re actually fucking phenomenal together, even outside the sex?_

“It’s not that,” Lily whispered. She looked up again and Teddy wanted to kick himself when he saw the tears sparkling, unshed, in her eyes. “I don’t want them to know I just picked up my big cousin’s ex!” She bit her lip, as though she were going to say more, then thought better of it. The Metamorphmagus heard the words she didn’t say. _I don’t want them all to think I couldn’t find my own man and just stole someone else’s because I fancied him, but for all the wrong reasons_.

Teddy couldn’t help it and stepped closer, holding both of Lily’s biceps gently, and replied, unable to help smiling a little, “It’s a little late for that, sweetheart.” Lily glared, but Teddy hastened to clarify, lest the sexy redheaded vixen think he meant he’d _told_ anyone. “Your Nan just confronted me in the kitchen,” he murmured, bending his head to say it low against her ear.

“What did you tell her?” Lily demanded, still glaring up at him, and Teddy bit back a groan at the urge to haul her up against himself, stride far enough past the wards to Apparate, and fuck her into next week.

“Nothing. She told me what I already knew.”

Lily’s brows pulled together. “Now is not the time for fucking riddles, Teddy,” she snarled.

“You’re right,” he said, moving his hands slowly but surely up her arms and over her shoulders. “Now is the time for action. I love you. And I don’t give a shite who knows anymore, so long as you do.” The words, as terrible as he felt he’d delivered them, seemed to resonate within him, and he felt something being lifted from him, making his whole being lighter, easier to carry.

“Teddy,” she whispered huskily, and this time he couldn’t help but groan, just the tiniest bit.

“And if you don’t love me back,” he added, swallowing past the lump of nerves in his throat, hating that the thought made his chest ache and shrivel in pain, “then you’d better stop me now before I kiss you right here.” His hands finally came to rest on her face, cupping her jaw lightly, and he leaned down dangerously close, hating that he’d just laid it all out on the fucking line, in a way he was never comfortable with, and was left waiting, braced for rejection. “Lily,” he said, and he watched her lashes flutter.

His mouth met hers in the same moment she melted to him, and as the kiss rapidly deepened, he felt her hands smoothing up his chest and over his shoulders hungrily as their tongues touched and rubbed sensually together. It was an affirmation of the feelings that had been building within Teddy for ages, feelings he’d just now given name to properly, and his heart soared as Lily snogged him hungrily as he kissed her with abandon.

Time seemed to slow down, or possibly become elastic, and all Lily could think about, as she surrendered to Teddy’s kiss like she had every damn time, even when she knew she shouldn’t have, was how much she wanted to tell him she loved him back. She tried, with tongue and lips and even teeth to tell him just how much she adored and needed and had come to rely upon his presence with just her kiss, and revelled in the groan that filtered headily into her mouth from his.

Instead of the words she wanted to shout, though, when he finally pulled back, all Lily could do was breathe softly against his lips, “Fuck.”

Teddy chuckled at her. “I’d like to, sweetheart,” he admitted, then glanced up, hearing someone definitely wolf-whistling and some definite sounds of shock. “But we’ve got an audience, you know.”

Lily blinked, then realized where she was, and what she’d been doing before Teddy had obliterated all thought by kissing her. “Oh _shit_ ,” she breathed, eyes going huge, mouth parting as panic set in, and she pulled back from him as if his flesh had stung her. “Teddy wait, we can’t just-! What are we going to tell Victoire, or - _oh fuck_ , my _parents_!?” she mumbled, even as she spotted Roxanne moving over, looking questioning.

Teddy merely looked at her, face falling the tiniest bit before it became the bland, impersonal face of an on-duty Auror. “I was thinking we just tell her and them what we tell everyone else. That I love you, and I want to be with you,” he said softly, then smiled sadly, making something in Lily’s belly wriggle uncomfortably. “But I suppose it’s ultimately up to you, Lily,” Teddy added, looking resigned and slightly put out.

The redhead bit her lower lip, her heart and her head warring within. Her heart wanted nothing more than grab Teddy’s hand, swallow her nerves, and declare her love for him in return before telling her entire extended family, which would be torturous, surely, but bearable. It was the brave thing to do. But the pragmatic part of her, the same side that had so meticulously saved every spare bronze knut to launch her dream career, had Lily hesitating, knowing now was certainly _not_ the best time, and they were utterly unprepared, and this was _certainly_ going to blow up hugely in their faces. The logical voice of her brain told her to make the wise choice, even if it was the cowardly one, and simply shove Teddy away, tell him to get out, and end it all right then. _It wasn’t ever supposed to happen anyway. There’s no way you could ever really be with him, because everyone would always find out eventually._

The redhead stepped back from Teddy, heart surely breaking, out of his embrace and said in a quiet voice, husky with emotion, “I think you should go, Lupin.”

“So you don’t-?” he snarled in a low voice, then scoffed when she wouldn’t meet his hurt, accusing amber eyes.

“Just fucking _go_ , Teddy,” she hissed, chancing a glance up and wincing as hazel met amber and she saw that haunting expression on the face she’d seen wearing a thousand others and yet not a one more chilling. “I… I don’t think this is going to work anymore,” she breathed, unable to speak as a hard lump formed in her throat, her body betraying her attempts to make the wise choice in life, for once, concerning Teddy Lupin. Lily turned her back on him as tears stung the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose tingled warningly then grimaced as she came face to face with Roxy.

“Looks like you’ve got a free space for another standing appointment, then, Potter,” said said softly, and then, with a loud crack, he abruptly Disapparated out of the Burrow’s back garden. The redhead felt a tingle of his magic shiver up her spine, leaving Lily gritting her teeth against her tears and trying to hold it all together as her heart shattered into unbearably tiny shards.

“Girl, you best be telling me about _exactly_ what the fuck that just was!” Roxy said, and Lily gulped, forcing herself to smile, eyes still stinging.

“That, Rox, was the epitome of a bad decision,” she said airily, hoping her voice didn’t catch or waver. “C’mon, bum me a fag and I’ll give you all the details.”

Four hours later, Lily was beyond glad to be going home. Of course, she’d have left sooner, but after Teddy’s little stunt that half her family had seen firsthand, and the other half had heard about in minutes, she’d been questioned thoroughly. And with a surprising amount of curiosity about Teddy in bed than she’d cared to ponder from her female cousins. The only ones who didn’t ask her what that whole kiss had been about, or teased her mercilessly for it, had been Victoire, her grandparents, and her father. Only one of whom Lily thought was actually furious about it all.

She was tempted to simply curl up in her armchair with a good book and spend the rest of her evening doing nothing more strenuous than reading, getting lost in another world, but she knew there was work to be done. The redheaded witch took a seat at the cramped little desk she’d had since forever, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment and waving her wand lazily to Summon the charmed typewriter she’d stored in its box underneath. With a few complicated wand patterns and another flick of her wand at the locked and heavily warded drawer, she pulled out the manuscript she’d been steadily working on over the last year or so, reading through the last handwritten portion, the one she’d edited to death and held secret for so long it almost hurt to think about sending it out, to be typed properly.

She was certain that if her book was ever published, which she hoped it would be, and be successful afterward, her family would be in an uproar about that too, so she told herself they’d get over the fact she’d hooked up with Teddy. That Teddy Lupin was, at least until that afternoon, her _boyfriend_ , when it seemed like barely a month ago he’d been Vic’s. Lily’s mouth turned down a bit at that and she pushed thoughts of an Metamorphmagus wizards from her mind as she cranked her parchment into the very old fashioned Muggle device she’d found in her Grandad’s shed and taken home to fix.

Since Lily could remember she’d loved writing. She could remember spending hours in her room simply scribbling away ideas, and short stories, and enjoying it immensely, even if it was entirely private. It didn’t require anything special except her imagination, which she reckoned had always been distinctly vivid, and some paper and a writing utensil. And by the time she’d gone off to Hogwarts, Lily had written a full length novel and a half dozen short stories already, and even with her workload, had only gone on perfecting her craft while at school.

The words flowed from her as she slowly buried herself in a realm of her own making, and blocked out the awful afternoon she’d had. Telling her whole family she had, yes, kind of, been seeing Teddy for awhile, in a mostly not serious way, but there was nothing more between them to date. Lily typed until the sun had set and darkness was thick outside her windows and the candles had burned down rather far. Her fingers and back ached, and she swore her eyes would go if she kept working so late into the nights, but she’d successfully buried any and all thoughts or memories of Ted Lupin, at least for now.

When Lily next showed up at her parents’ house for Sunday dinner, after skipping two weeks in a row. She didn’t mention in her owls to her mum that she wound up picking up extra shifts at work for the sole purpose _of_ skiving, so she wouldn’t have to possibly see Teddy. She wouldn’t have to see the heart-crushing sadness and accusation in his amber eyes that still haunted her dreams every damn night after she tossed and turned, trying not to let her mind wander to the Metamorphmagus who’d stolen her heart.

She told herself, with surprising frequency, that she had made the right choice, the _smart_ choice, in regards to a real, honest, public relationship with Teddy. It simple wouldn’t ever work, because every single bloody Weasley would have something to say about it, along with the other non-Weasley relations, and she was positive her father would be furious. She hadn’t yet spoken to Harry Potter about dating his godson, or sleeping with him, because Lily was honestly just too scared of seeing her father so furious as he’d been at the lunch when she’d seen him while talking to her mum. And if she ever did try to have a real go of things with Teddy, assuming she’d ever have the chance.

XXX


	12. Chapter 12

XXX

Lily tried to flex her arms, to move her hands, but she was thoroughly pinned and utterly at the mercy of the man standing behind her, who made her blush instinctively, even if part of her was secretly beyond excited this was happening. She was bound to a table, bent at the waist over one sharp edge, her hands bound before her in an intricate knot and face pressed into unforgiving wood. And despite all of the humiliation and submission of her pose, Lily felt powerful, knowing that whoever the wizard behind her was, he would be just as enslaved to her whims as she appeared to be to his.

She moaned as something hard slid between the slick, excited lips of her pussy, making her bite hard into her lower lip to suppress the urge to try jerking her hips back and impaling herself on whatever her lover had decided to fuck her with. A part of her knew that would be the surest way to prolong this heady foreplay, and Lily was read to just get fucked already, not to mention she hadn’t an ounce of room to maneuver herself.

Her back arched as the warm, firm tip of what was _surely_ an actual cock teased deep into her folds, just tickling her inner labia with the promise of what was to come. Lily let loose a whimpering moan as she wiggled invitingly and to the best of her capability with her limited range of motion. Splayed and bound as she was, the red haired witch moaned louder still as the strong, warm hands that had been gliding over her body slid down and over her ass, spreading her buttocks and that lovely hard cock pressed deeper, still grinding and receding teasingly against her.

“Tell me how badly you need to have this juicy little pussy fucked,” demanded a familiar voice that raised goosebumps down her arms and made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the pure, animalistic growl of dominance she fell for every damn time. She moaned, trying to arch further still as his hands spread her impossibly wider, exposing all of her to his lustful gaze, and all Lily could imagine as she clenched her eyes shut was just how hot and molten those amber eyes would be as they devoured her. 

“Fuck, Teddy, please,” she panted, trying with limited success to get the required friction and depth required to bring her to nirvana. But still, Teddy Lupin just rocked against her opening, teasing and taunting her to the point of madness, not quite delivering the fucking she needed more than life itself in that moment, and Lily could picture the way his mouth would curve at her begging. “I need it so fucking bad, Teddy, _please_! I need you to fuck me and fill up my pussy, please please _please_!”

“Since you asked so nicely, sweetheart,” Teddy said, the smirk evident in the tone and timbre of his voice, but in the next breath, Lily couldn’t bring herself to care, because her Metamorphmagus lover was pushing into her, filling her slowly with the ever-impressive length of his cock, and Lily’s hazel eyes rolled back into her head in blissful completion. She whimpered as he pulled out, the sound rising to a breathy squeal as Teddy lightly slapped her soaked entrance.

“Teddy, please, I- _Unh_!” Lily cried out as her lover gently stroked her wet, quivering folds before slapping her again, just a touch harder, and then thrust ruthlessly back into her. She could feel her sensitive nipples grazing the wood of the table as she writhed, but Teddy simply withdrew once more and smacked her on the ass this time, making her cheeks wobble and a pink handprint appear. 

“Don’t you dare fucking come yet,” he growled, and she moaned, turning her face to the side and biting her own arm in an effort to control herself. It was all but impossible as the bliss and ecstasy crashed and boiled through her veins, every nerve ending on red alert and tensed for more contact from the Metamorphmagus. She gasped when he filled her again, and then tensed and wriggled as deft, sure fingers began to stroke her clit, teeth biting into her own flesh, and felt herself rocketing toward completion.

“ _Unhh! Please_!” she moaned, and felt Teddy withdraw again, a sob getting caught in her throat at the loss of fulfillment. “ _I need to come, please, please, Teddy, I_ -!” She shuddered as another hand connected with her ass, then softer against her dripping slit yet again.

“You’ll get it when I say you get it, sweetheart,” her lover growled, and Lily’s eyes rolled back in her head as she fought the mingled urge to sob and scream in frustration, even as Teddy thrust into her once more.

Lily sat up in bed with a gasp, chest heaving and body on fire with the need to come, and she groaned raggedly as she flopped back into her pillows, still hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting her dream version of Teddy Lupin as the reality of being alone in bed washed over her. She felt tears sting her eyes as she recalled _just_ how close she’d been to release, and the knowledge she’d never have that sensation, with Teddy’s reassuring warmth behind her invoking it, again. The redheaded witch hadn’t thought, in all the long days she’d forced herself into misery without the one wizard she longed for, knowing she’d wronged him and now deserved him far less than she ever had, it would hurt so bad. That her self imposed exile from satisfaction and love would be like an ever twisting blade of agony in her heart.

But where once she’d found solitude a peaceful respite, now Lily felt loneliness as a sharp, acute pain. Where she once longed for the freedom that being solitary granted, the freedom to express herself, or write uninterrupted, now Lily craved the opposite. Another body to cuddle up with, someone to laugh with, and have debates that would result in her being kissed quiet, the warmth that sharing meals brought, and, perhaps most intensely of all, the complete wholeness that she felt with another in her bed. It was the only thing she longed for.

As she scrubbed her palms over her face, trying and failing to expunge the fading recollections of her very vivid dream from her brain, the hazel eyed woman knew there was only one thing to do. One course of action to set her no-longer satisfactory life back to rights. One action she needed to take to restore her slowly dwindling sanity and restore her somewhat lacking imagination. She would have to go see Teddy, in the flesh, and at least attempt to right the wrongs she caused through fear of rejection.

She made an appointment to speak with the Assistant Supervisor for the Specialized Auror Taskforce by owl, after dragging herself from bed and showering and dressing robotically. The response owl, left upon her latest manuscript, the one she’d started not long after her liaison with Teddy had first begun, was sitting just where she’d left it on her little writing desk, still open to the spot she’d gotten stuck at. And as she pulled her unruly hair up into a messy bun atop her head, she didn’t bother to put it away even as she snatched up her wand and Apparated out of her little flat to the visitor’s entrance for the Ministry.

Lily was actually mostly fine until she was watching the lift doors slide shut on her way up to the Auror Department. And then all at once, uncertainty and anxiety rocked her, making her knees wobble, hands go clammy, and her breath started to come in short, ineffective puffs. What the hell was she doing? Teddy was going to flip out the second he saw her. She was being an idiot! There was no way her one-time lover, who might have been willing to make things work, would ever want her now. She’d most definitely missed her chance, and she doubted Teddy would even speak to her now that she felt brave enough to try again with him. Nonetheless, she knew she had to try, to at least make the effort to fix things, if only for Teddy’s sake. She knew she’d hurt him, and a good portion of her hated herself for it, and she would do what it took to at least make sure her almost-ex was alright. Hell, the last few months had been an emotional rollercoaster for him, and she hadn’t even taken any of that into account before she, in a panic, shoved him away and out of her life. She’d been selfish, and immature, and every iota of her was aching with the knowledge she’d hurt the man she’d truly begun to feel something real for. And now she was terrified and all but certain she wouldn’t be able to fix it.

The lift doors opened with a soft ping, the cool voice announcing her arrival to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Lily stepped out with a flock of interdepartmental memos zooming around her. Her hazel eyes darted around and then, with a deep breath that momentarily silenced her internal doubts, she stepped toward the maze of cubicles and offices that made up the Auror Department. She’d visited Teddy’s office once before, when she’d been a brand new Hogwarts grad and had come, with her mother, to visit her father at work. But that had been some years ago, and the maze-like quality of cubicles around her were disorienting to even some who worked in it. “Excuse me,” she said, pausing near the desk of a surly-faced Auror with dark hair and eyes who was scowling at a map. The wizard didn’t look up. “I was just wondering if you could point me in the right direction of Ted- er, Auror Lupin’s office.”

The man huffed out an aggrieved sigh, still not making eye contact, but pointed down the little aisle to Lily’s left. “Straight back,” the wizard grunted, and Lily nodded.

“Thank you, er-” she said, glancing at the man’s desk for some kind of indication who he might be, but the wizard was still glaring at his map, so the redhead decided to simply leave him in peace. She headed along the aisle, glancing curiously around at the people talking, laughing, and working around her, none of whom seemed remotely interested in her arrival or presence among them. She dodged a few memos that zoomed along her path, sidestepped a man who was being debriefed and dripping an alarming amount of Stinksap on the floor, and finally came to a closed door that bore a name plaque. _Edward Lupin - Assistant Supervisor, Specialized Auror Task Force_.

Her nerves threatened to return as her stomach churned uncomfortably and her vivid imagination began to whirl the likely outcomes of what would happen whenever Teddy saw her, but she squared her shoulders, took another fortifying, deep breath, and raised a hand to knock softly. She gulped when a brisk-sounding Teddy called, “Come in.” Her hand shook slightly as it rested on the doorknob, but she bolstered her Gryffindor courage and opened the door, pasting a polite smile on, even as her stomach sank with dread at what she was about to do.

She stepped into the office, closing the door behind her, and wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her eyes. There was Teddy, the wizard she’d come to care for, looking like a feast to her starving gaze, sitting behind his desk. His long, slightly unruly mop of turquoise hair hung over his face the same as always and his robes were fitted to his frame, neither concealing or accentuating what she recalled being a very perfect body underneath. But when her eyes darted down to his hands upon the desk, she couldn’t stop the memories of those hands gliding over and touching with equal parts care and lust every last centimeter of her body. Every stitch of flesh from her birthday suit had been worshipped and groped by those magnificent, wonderful hands, and seeing them now made something inside her want to rip off his clothes and hers and have him touch her all over again. 

But then he looked up, and Lily’s mouth parted in a silent gasp. His amber eyes were all but on fire they glared so hotly at her, but there were heavy bags and dark circles beneath, and his face was a cool mask of feigned indifference that hurt Lily’s heart. She bravely walked forward and stood before his desk. Her heart was pounding so hard and loud she was certain he could hear it, and her palms were slick with sweat, while her throat remained parched. She couldn’t bring up enough nerve to sit down, her anxiety skyrocketing as Teddy leaned back in his chair and folded his perfect hands, lacing those sinfully long and, she knew, talented fingers together. “Potter,” he said blandly, in a voice that carried no hint of whatever emotion he might be feeling. Lily gulped, her stomach churning, feeling nervous as hell and surely on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

“Teddy,” she croaked, then wrung her hands as she wet her lips and tried to swallow enough to speak properly. She had to look away when the Metamorphmagus wizard simply lifted a condescending brow at her. The redhead couldn’t forget that he was descended of the Blacks, and raised by one, after all, because he could do the pureblood disdain with ease. “Teddy, I think we need to talk,” she said, trying to get herself together, and looked back up into his furious amber eyes.

“Oh?” he drawled with false sincerity. “I was under the impression that everything between us was startlingly finished. What in the name of Merlin could we possibly have to talk about?” Lily braced herself, because she more than deserved that.

There was a sudden knock at Teddy’s door, and Lily glanced over her shoulder just as it opened and Tobias Shacklebolt stuck his head inside. Instantly Toby’s brows lifted as his dark gaze darted from Teddy to Lily and back, and then he grinned, looking positively lecherous to the redhead. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, sliding into the room.

“Bugger off, Tobe,” Teddy growled, rising from his seat and glaring at Lily as though it were somehow all her fault _his_ friend had shown up apparently expectantly.

“As much I’d love to, Ted, I’m here on official business. Jennings wants those reports from last week, on the Drager case,” Toby replied, smiling as he tucked his hands into the pockets on his robes and sauntering up to Lily.

Lily had met Toby briefly before, back when she’d delusionally thought she and Teddy could keep what they had a secret from the world, and even earlier when she’d been a kid and Teddy had invited him to visit the Potter residence when the two had been in Auror Training. Both times she hadn’t seen enough to determine if she actually liked the bloke or not. Now, from the way he was eyeballing her, especially what she had buttoned up in her blouse, the redheaded witch wasn’t so certain she liked Teddy’s best mate after all.

“You’re looking fit, Little Potter,” Toby added, smiling charmingly, even as his gaze dropped once again to look over her bodily assets. Lily barely resisted glaring, trying not to lose focus of her true intention that day. “What brings you all the way to the Auror Department? Nothing serious I should hope,” Toby continued. “Or are you just popping by to visit your dad at work to lighten up the drudgery of the day, like a proper little daughter?”

Lily did glare at that, because not only would her father probably claim being busy to avoid seeing her, because she was fairly certain he was still sulking that she’d ruined things so horribly in a moment of weakness with Teddy she’d broken him somehow. “Neither,” she replied through grit teeth. “I’m here to-”

“She has a meeting, strictly business. Here are the reports,” Teddy interrupted brusquely, shoving a thick folder of parchments to Toby, who grimaced at the Metamorphmagus. 

Teddy stared back with those blazing amber eyes until Shacklebolt sighed, but exited the office, unable to help but turn at the door and say, quite blithely, to Lily, “Let me know if you’re ever interested in spending the weekend with me, Little Lily. I heard you’re single, y‘know, and I’d be happy to relieve any lingering tension you might have.” The redhead felt her jaw drop open, even as Teddy took a menacing step forward and Toby, chuckling, exited the office. 

She flinched as Teddy grasped her upper arm firmly and they followed in Shacklebolt’s wake, him half-dragging her as he escorted her with long, purposeful strides out of his office. “Where are we-?” she demanded, even as Teddy turned abruptly into a room, pulling her in after himself.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Teddy growled the second the door to the little conference room was carefully shut and then heavily warded with silencing and locking charms. “I don’t know what you want, _Potter_ , but I don’t-”

“I came to apologize,” Lily interrupted, unable to rein in her temper at the dismissive and frankly rude way Teddy was addressing her.

“Wonderful,” he ground out sarcastically. “Consider it done. Now go home, Lily. Some of us are _working_.” She couldn’t miss unspoken inference, or the coldly dismissive and equally derisive tone he spat the words in that not so subtly implied she obviously had no idea of what a proper workday for the average witch or wizard was truly about. 

The redhead’s teeth grit together, but she forced her temper down. Getting angry and lashing out wasn’t going to work, so she’d have to get Teddy to accept her apology through a different tactic. She knew there were only two ways to get through to Teddy, and she highly doubted brute force would work, because he’d have her unarmed and at his mercy in a heartbeat should she try to use magical force. She also knew his temper was just fiery enough, probably from the faintest hint of lycanthropy in his heritage that may have just given him enough stubborn pride and self confidence to refuse to acknowledge anyone else’s superiority, that outright defiance wouldn’t work either. She’d have to use the one thing she knew he’d hate her for doing the most, if only to appeal to his baser instincts to at least allow him to hear her.

“You don’t believe me,” she said, modulating her voice to remain calm, taking a slow, deep breath, even as she realized she would have to put it all on the line to even get the turquoise haired wizard’s attention. She moved further into the room, not bothering to make eye contact, trying to convince herself she wasn’t about to make an arse of herself. 

“What do you _want_?” Teddy barked again, after having thrown his hands up in frustration as the redhead wandered halfway around the large table in the center of the room.

“What I really want, Teddy,” she said, dropping her voice to the husky timbre she’d employed in an effort to diffuse her true persona from her masked one when she’d worked at the club, “is for you to believe me.” Her hazel gaze caught his bright amber one, even as Teddy rolled his eyes, and she smiled the tiniest bit, easily adopting that cajoling, tempting version of herself that she’d so effortlessly sold her soul with. “And I’m quite certain there’s only one way for me to prove it,” she added, tossing her hair, and brazenly began unbuttoning her blouse. 

The Metamorphmagus watched her with intense, scalding amber eyes, taking in every movement as Lily slowly began stripping her clothing for him as she only had a handful of times, because the majority of their time spent together had been without any clothing whatsoever. He didn’t say a word as Lily slowly but surely revealed herself to him, in the precise form he’d first met her in, and watched as his gaze darkened as it darted down and back up her frame appreciatively. 

Lily sucked in a deep breath, trying not to let her facade of confidence and utter assurance that playing the cocktease had always seemed to elicit before she’d met Teddy and known it was him. She felt the impulsive urge to simply cover herself, hiding away under the heavy cloak of her embarrassment, but she also knew, deep down, that if she did, Teddy might never trust her properly, or at all, again. So she stood there, in nothing but her knickers, and stared Teddy Lupin in the eye, as if she had never wronged him and he was still the same wizard she’d last known in the most primal and intimate way possible. “The question is, what will it take to convince you I’m serious, sweetheart?” she purred.

“You’re bold, Lily, I’ll give you that,” Teddy finally rasped, his voice thick with obvious arousal, and Lily couldn’t resist letting her gaze drop down his lithe, chiseled form encased in the bright purple robes, before settling on the prominent ridge of his hard cock jutting through the fabric of his trousers, making her equally apprehensive and nervous simultaneously. 

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and she steeled her courage, trying to reclaim that headspace she’d always employed in the past, that _she_ was in control of the situation, and _she_ held all the power. “And that’s not even one of my finer attributes,” the redhead conceded, tossing her long hair and shifting her weight to plant one hand on her hip, the other trailing sensually between her breasts and down her stomach. “Wouldn’t you say?”

“I say it’s going to take a lot more than you playing the whore to convince me, Lily,” Teddy shot back, his amber gaze snapping up to her eyes from where it had followed the slow descent of her fingertips across creamy skin. She held back a scowl as Teddy folded his arms, looking more obstinate than ever.

“Who’s playing?” she said softly, eyes dropping for a beat. She swallowed and looked back up, straightening her shoulders proudly and moving forward to where Teddy stood, arms folded and looking severe, in front of the large table.

“So you did go back, then,” he scoffed, looking qually furious and disgusted now. Lily’s brows pulled together.

“Back where?” she asked, her coy mask slipping. Teddy glared, mouth twisting with revulsion even as his gaze narrowed.

“To that shit hole club where you get off on conning pathetic sods into paying a small fortune for the pleasure of fucking you in any damn way they please for an hour at the least,” the Metamorphmagus spat. Lily flinched as though she’d been struck, not only at the accusation, but the hate and vitriolic crudeness that came with the savagely hurled words. And the fact that it wasn’t true made tears well in the corners of her eyes as she slowly curled in on herself. Teddy’s blazing eyes rolled at her apparent expression of horror, and he scoffed again. “And you can save the hurt act, Potter. Your mum already told me you quit your waitress job, you know. Which you actually _would_ know if you’d bothered to show up for dinner with your parents in the last month.”

The redhead felt her temper flare at that. She’d made it perfectly clear, in a letter to her mother, that she wasn’t sure she’d be up for visiting if her father planned on looking through her, if not in utter disappointment, again. One time was plenty for a lifetime in Lily’s opinion. “I have my own reasons for not going to dinner, which you can bank on having absolutely nothing to do with you, and so what if I quit my waitress job? You think I just went back to-” Lily broke off, not wanting to say the words aloud, “to _that_?” she finished weakly.

“If not that, then what?” Teddy demanded. Lily’s arms went slack and she looked away, all but positive Teddy would think he lying if she just said nothing for a long moment. So, in an attempt to start, the right way, something she felt might actually be worth the hard work and damage to her pride to try fixing, she told the truth. “Precisely,” Teddy snapped, and made to brush past her. “I think that’s all we’ve got to talk about, then.”

“I’m not working back at that club,” Lily said firmly, stepping in front of Teddy, blushing when she realized she wasn’t exactly making it obvious what with being shirtless, but if he wanted her, she’d give herself freely. Hell, she was certain at that point she’d do just about anything to convince Teddy she wanted to give a relationship a proper go. “I did quit my waitress job,” she continued, staring directly into Teddy’s eyes, hating that he looked like a zombie, probably furious and or paranoid she was going to whore herself to anyone who paid rather than face her family and actually be with him. She wanted to be sure he knew, without a doubt, she was serious, and she wanted him, and nothing else, and she’d do whatever it took to prove it. “But it was so I could focus on actually going after my dream job.”

“Which is?” Teddy demanded, still apparently stubbornly holding onto his disbelief. Lily licked her lips again, seeing the wizard standing mere inches from her and yet an ocean away in understanding glance down at her mouth once again. She didn’t see the way his hands tightened into fists for a beat.

“I published a book,” she said in a low, almost whispering, voice. “Well, I just got the letter yesterday that it would be published, really, so it’s not there yet, but I’m on my way.” For a moment Teddy simply stared at her, and then she watched him push a hand through his turquoise hair.

“How do I believe you?” he finally asked on a sigh, shoulders slumping, as if he wanted to hope, but his better judgement was holding him back, telling him she might hurt him again no doubt. Lily gulped.

“You have to trust me,” she said. “And because that’s the honest truth. I… I haven’t even told Mum, yet,” she admitted even lower, and smiled a tin bit, because her mother would be furious she hadn’t known first thing. “I mean, I told her I finished writing the thing, and that I’d submitted it, but not that I’d actually-”

Before Lily could finish her sentence, Teddy interrupted with a relieved, “Thank fuck,” before his hands had lifted to slide hungrily around her waist, drawing her flush to him, and his mouth had descended to capture hers in a scorching, mind-melting kiss. She felt her thoughts simply fade away as Teddy’s mouth moved with sure remembrance across hers, his lips soft, tongue teasing as it slid just inside her lips to taste her before he drew back again. Lily, who hadn’t noticed herself wrapping three of four appendages around him, trying to hold herself as close to the turquoise haired wizard as possible, blushed as Teddy looked down at her, forehead almost pressed to hers.

“You need to get dressed,” he sighed, even as one of his hands lifted the cup her cheek in an achingly familiar gesture. Lily felt tears stinging her eyes once again, still determined not to let any fall, even as the blow of rejection she had half expected reverberated through her.

“Alright,” she whispered, pulling away abruptly and cursing herself internally as she hurriedly, feeling vulnerable and stupid, put her clothes back on. _Why would he want anything from you? You broke his bloody heart, how can you expect him to ever trust you or want you enough to put that aside and try?_ Her lower lip wobbled as she finished the buttons on her blouse, and she couldn’t bear to meet his eyes as she turned for the door. “See you around I guess,” she whispered, even as she wanted to shout that she loved him, and she probably always would, and it would be hell to have to see him again and never be able to have him because she’d chickened out that one damned time. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_!

Lily’s heart threatened to explode, even as her tears burned once more, threatening to fall, when she felt Teddy reach out again and grasp her arm, turning her back to face him. She lost her battle against the tears when both of his palms came up to cup her face, and she stared at the once again familiar, warm, amber gaze she’d somehow come to associate with peace and satisfaction. “You will,” he guaranteed. “Lily, I-” Teddy began, then seemed to lose his nerve. “I don’t want to do whatever we had again,” he said, and the redheaded witch’s tears spilled down her cheeks again, even as Teddy made to wipe them away, staring at her earnestly. “I want to actually date you.” Lily felt as if her entire body had gone numb at those words. “And I want to do it properly,” the Metamorphmagus added. “So, if you’re free, I want to have dinner with you. Tonight.” Lily found herself nodding, still in a daze. She felt for certain she was having an out of body experience when Teddy kissed her again, his mouth moving with sure, steady confidence and control over hers, and she tried to rein in on her runaway excitement.

XXX


	13. Chapter 13

XXX

By the time Teddy got back to his office, feeling as if he was floating in a mixture of dreaming bliss and some kind of potion-induced euphoria, the turquoise haired wizard was all but certain the day was going to drag by now that he had something to look forward to that evening. What he wasn’t expecting was to find Toby in his office, lounging in the chair set before his desk with his feet up, staring expectantly up at him. He instantly felt his smile that stretched almost literally ear to ear slide from his face, even if he still held the tiniest smugly pleased smirk at one corner of his mouth.

“What do you want, Toby?” he sighed, moving to flop down into his chair, trying not to let the glee his impending dinner with the one witch he’d been brooding and agonizing over for the last several weeks brought leak into his expression. 

Toby, apparently, saw right through him, and a slow grin spread over his dark features before he chuckled quietly, making Teddy’s mouth turn down properly now, scowling at his best mate. “I almost wouldn’t believe you’re actually dumb enough to make the same mistake twice if I hadn’t been looking at you the last few weeks.”

Still scowling, Teddy growled, “And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve obviously either just told Little Potter you fucking love her, or you’ve just shagged her rotten so that you wouldn’t tell her,” Toby replied, still smiling, and Teddy, despite his best intentions, felt his cheeks flush ever so slightly. 

“I don’t know what you’re on about, mate, but-”

“Don’t lie, Lupin. You’re shite at it, with me at least.” Toby sat up properly, putting his feet down and looking at the Metamorphmagus wizard who’d been his friend for more than a decade intently. “So? Which was it then? You don’t seem quite pleased enough with yourself to have gotten some, so I’m going to assume it was the former.”

Teddy’s jaw set mulishly, amber eyes narrowing as he surveyed his best friend, and suddenly he wondered, despite the fact he was positive Toby had merely been acting like he wanted to shag Lily to rile him up, if perhaps his best mate _was_ interested in the gorgeous redhead. After all, if Toby simply thought Lily was nothing but an easy lay, and the sort of bird he’d call up on lonely nights, it _would_ make the teasing seem much more significant. Or, perhaps he was even planning on Teddy assuming such, and so would reveal how he truly felt about the one witch he knew would be damn near impossible to be with, and who he wanted to fight for anyhow. 

The thoughts swirled in a circle of confusion and he finally looked down, closing his eyes for a beat and seeing Lily, just kissed in his arms, looking like as though she might feel something similar to what lived, through and after it all, in Teddy’s chest. His feelings for her, no matter how much he tried to ignore them, had haunted almost every waking moment, and a multitude of sleeping ones as well, since he’d last laid eyes on her and felt her warm and pliant body pressed to his. He didn’t know what the right decision was, but he realized he would have to make one if he ever wanted to have Lily pressed to him, gazing up at him with soft, affectionate eyes, looking just snogged and utterly, radiantly beautiful again. And that made the answer inevitable.

“I’m in so bloody deep with that witch, I’m surprised I’ve made it through the last few months,” he said at last, his voice coming out soft but firm, and unwavering. Just like his feelings for the redhead in question. 

“Well, fuck, mate. Why the hell didn’t you just have her in the conference room, then?” Toby sighed sympathetically, even as he smirked, and added, quite unhelpfully, “It’d be hard not to with that one, Lupin.” Amber eyes rolled, even as he made a gesture for Toby to vacate his seat. “Either way, I’ve come to see if you feel like going for a drink tonight with me and the lads, but I can only assume you’re going to ditch in the hopes of getting some again from Little Potter.”

“You bet, Toby,” Teddy replied, smirking and feeling his mood lightening just thinking about seeing Lily again that night for dinner. And while he was looking forward to seeing Lily, and having dinner with her, he firmly told himself not to hope for anything more than that. He didn’t want to go about doing the same thing twice, and not bothering to actually get to know Lily before taking her to bed. Because he wanted this go round to be done properly, and wanted to prove to Lily beyond the shadow of a doubt he wanted her for far more than just her body, even if that had been the first thing he’d come to love about her.

“Best of luck in that case, mate,” he said, then chuckled. “Though if that bite mark on your neck is any indication, you’ll do alright.”

To his chagrin, Teddy felt himself flush at that, resisting the urge to cover his neck, even as he felt a flash of pleasure at the very fresh memory. “Fuck off, Toby,” he grumbled, even as his best mate, laughing, got to the point of his impromptu visit.

Several hours later, Lily tried not to let her nerves get the best of her as she paced before her closet that evening, searching for something that said ‘first date’ with enough hints of ‘booty call’ that Teddy might consider staying the night with her after dinner. Because while there was a giddy, girlish little part of herself that would be perfectly content with a romantic dinner and nothing more than a sweet goodnight kiss, the much larger, sluttier part of her wanted to make sure Teddy knew that dating for real didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in being celibate. Hell, she hadn’t spent an extra twenty minutes in the shower with the Depilatory Potion she’d neglected using since quitting the club and breaking things off with Teddy for nothing.

In the end, the redheaded witch settled on her favourite pair of jeans and the same blouse she’d worn to meet with her publisher for the first time. She sat at her vanity table and stared into her reflection for a long beat, then carefully styled her hair and applied just enough makeup that she looked flawless, but not enough Teddy might think she was _just_ looking for the hookup. 

The Metamorphmagus Flooed to her place, as they’d arranged, precisely at six-thirty, and they Apparated from the stairwell of Lily’s Muggle building after she grabbed her purse and locked up and they exchanged bashful, shy compliments and slightly awkward small talk. Dinner was at a relatively new little place in Diagon Alley, squeezed between Quality Quidditch Supplies and the Apostles’ Apothecary, and Lily could tell they were both recognized by the host upon arrival. Lily strove for normalcy, but as they were seated and wine was chosen and poured, and she and Teddy made stilted conversation, the redhead couldn’t help but wonder if she was making a mistake.

It all felt so bizarre, and off, and almost as though they were playing pretend somehow. Perhaps, she told herself, it was because they’d never been on a ‘proper’ date, but she couldn’t shake the feeling, after the waiter left with their orders, that this who scenario wasn’t working. They’d never bothered to do the traditional dating, like she supposed she’d tried before starting at the club, ages ago. But even then, Lily hadn’t much cared for dinner dates, or going to the pub, with a wizard. She’d always preferred staying home, ordering in, and relaxing to just chat or watch telly, and then, after she _had_ started at the club, it was more about skipping straight to mutual pleasure than any sort of time spent connecting. Of course, with Teddy, for a brief moment in time, she’d had the best of both worlds; the mutual meeting of pleasure, but also that time to just hang out and talk and laugh, and be casually together. This very nice restaurant, and all the heavy connotations she’d slowly built up in her mind all day worrying about their date, combined to a stiff, formal experience that just didn’t feel natural.

By the time the waiter had returned with their appetizers, Lily resolved she would say something, hoping and praying she might at least break the tension between them. She gulped, glancing up and automatically smiling at Teddy, whose shoulders seemed stiff and who smiled widely back before his gaze dropped to his food again.

“Is this weird for you, too?” Lily finally managed to murmur as they picked absently at their appetizers, the tension spiralling between them and the need to speak becoming unbearable for the redhead. 

To her undying relief, Teddy grinned, a little sheepishly, back at her across the table. “I was hoping it was just me, but...yeah.”

Lily stabbed absently at her food for another beat of silence. “May we should get out of here?” she murmured hesitantly, trying not to wince at how desperate she sounded even to her own ears.

In an instant, Teddy had quite abruptly dropped his fork, looking more relieved than Lily felt. “Thank fuck,” he breathed, even as he pulled out a handful of Galleons from his robes pocket, far more than enough to cover their bill, tossing them on the table as he stood, reaching for her hand as she followed suit swiftly. The redhead certainly felt guilty as she walked quickly with Teddy, still clutching his hand, through the restaurant and out into the cool evening air, but she couldn’t help but smile hugely in mingled relief and release of her nerves, laughing as Teddy pushed a hand through his turquoise hair. 

“Honestly, can we just go back to yours, get some takeaway, and watch telly or something?”

The Metamorphmagus grinned at her, his amber gaze twinkling and smile turning lopsided as he reached for her hand, lacing their fingers. “Absolutely, but you can pay this time. And I’ll grab the beers.”

Lily laughed again, rolling her eyes, but nodded. “Deal.”

One week and two more not-quite-dates with Teddy later, and their fourth planned for later that evening, Lily was at home and heavily invested in a writing groove for her latest project, and had been for some time until, suddenly, her peace was shattered by the sound of loud, rapid knocking from the front door. She tried to ignore it, but then it sounded again, and she grudgingly got up to get the fucking door, if only to tell whoever it was to fuck off. She grumbled under her breath about her wards being breached b some ignorant fool who more than deserved her wrath, and was scowling thoroughly as she stomped from her desk.

“Hold on, hold on, I’m coming,” Lily grumbled, jogging to her door as a brisk, rapid knock sounded for the third time in the last minute, having thoroughly interrupted her train of thought and derailing her attempts to sink into her newest novel. She wrenched the door open, mouth parting to berate whoever might have been disturbing her, but instantly felt all her frustration and anger evaporate as she met the gaze of the tall, gorgeous blonde witch whom she’d been half expecting for a few weeks now. “Victoire,” she said softly, instantly feeling guilty as she stared across at her eldest cousin.

“Hello, Lily. I was wondering if we could talk,” the blonde said evenly, without inflection. Lily fought the urge to wince when her half-hearted attempt to smile wasn’t returned. “Is now an alright time for you? Or are you...indisposed?” A tiny whisper of Lily’s anger flared when Victoire glanced up and down her appearance, obviously taking in the lack of make-up and the way the redheaded witch had artlessly piled her hair atop her head, along with her sweatpants and ratty old tee.

“Sure, now is fine,” Lily replied, and stepped back, opening the front door to her humble flat a little wider. “Do you want tea?” she asked as her cousin crossed the threshold, stepping inside gingerly, her blue eyes darting around Lily’s slightly messy front room, if only because Lily knew her mother would behead her if she didn’t at least offer.

“That sounds lovely,” Victoire said in a distinctly fake tone of appreciation. Lily dismissed it, trying to calm her inner anxiety as she lead the way into her little kitchen, glad she’d done dishes the day before. There could only be, Lily was positive, one reason for Victoire to pay her a visit wanting to talk. And she had a sinking feeling, as she bustled around boiling water and getting some mugs from the cupboard while the gorgeous older witch seated herself primly at Lily’s little table, that thing could only be Teddy Lupin.

“So,” Lily said a few minutes later after they’d fixed their teas and sat for a distinctly awkward thirty seconds in silence, not making eye contact. “I’m guessing you’re here to talk about…” She faltered a little as she met Victoire’s icy blue gaze again, and gulped. “About Teddy,” she finished unevenly. 

A tiny flicker of a smile graced Victoire’s face for a beat, and she daintily sipped her tea. “In a sense, yes,” the blonde said, then sighed, shoulders slumping as Lily nodded, looking grim. “I just… Can I be blunt with you, Lily?” she asked.

Lily licked her lips, anxiety churning her belly and making her mouth dry. “Sure,” the redhead responded, feeling anything but sure in that moment. She’d been dreading this conversation, because she knew it would go only one of two ways. Her cousin would hate her, call her, rightfully, a home-wrecking awful excuse for a witch, who’d knowingly seduced a taken man, from a member of her own family no less, and declare her intention to never speak to Lily again. Or, Victoire would forgive her, claim she was happy now despite it all, but still politely inform the redhead she wished to never converse with her again. Now that the moment had come to face the music, the redhead was left feeling like she might just be sick, because she hadn’t wanted to ruin a relationship with her cousin, despite the fact she’d done things that were far from morally sound.

“You were the one Teddy was cheating on me with all along, weren’t you?” Victoire asked steadily, and Lily had to look down as shame made her cheeks burn and the back of her neck prickle uncomfortably with embarrassed heat. She nodded woodenly, staring firmly at the swirls of steam that danced around the rim of her mug.

“Yeah,” she finally managed to croak out as the silence stretched between them, and although she was positive her first assumption about how this conversation would go was about to be confirmed, she peeked back up at her cousin as she said it. Victoire, to her surprise, didn’t look at all angry, but instead rather sad.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said at last, mouth turning down in despair, even while she continued to look enchantingly beautiful, especially when Lily compared her to herself. “And… And are you still…?” Victoire asked sounding hesitant for the first time. Lily fidgeted a little bit, because she was still, most definitely, sleeping with Teddy, along with actually dating him now. “I mean, I’m not judging you,” Victoire continued as Lily hesitated in responding. “But how could you, Lily?” The redhead opened her mouth to reply, but it was as if her vocal chords had forgotten how to work, and she merely gaped like an idiot at her older cousin.

“I… I just…” she finally managed to spit out, then faltered, because now Victoire was starting to look angry at last.

“Really, I think that I, of all people, deserve to know why you sleep with wizards for money, Lily. I mean, you whored yourself out to the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with.”

Silence descended upon the little kitchen once more, and Lily instantly felt like she’d gotten whiplash with the sudden realization that her cousin thought she was still a whore. That she hadn’t come to talk about Teddy, really, but merely the circumstances that had brought them together in the first place. And although Lily knew she deserved it, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit insulted and offended that Victoire thought she’d kept on at the stupid club. “I don’t anymore,” she replied, trying not to snap, even when Victoire pulled a face. “How do you even-?”

“It doesn’t matter how I found out,” Victoire said dismissively, and Lily bit her tongue on the urge to plead with her cousin not to tell anyone. That, on top of everything else, would be a lot to ask of the blonde witch. “What matters is why you obviously chose that life over being with Ted. At least to me. Because he was in love with you, y’know. And most likely still is.”

The way her cousin said those last words, the way she quite honestly said Teddy was in love with her, Lily could only imagine what they cost the part-Veela before her to admit aloud. That the man she’d, indeed, thought she’d obviously spend the rest of her life with was in love with a witch that wasn’t her… Lily doubted she could ever be that strong, and kind of hated how much she admired her cousin’s poise and maturity. “I know,” she replied in a quiet voice, because she really did, despite the fact Teddy hadn’t actually told her in so many words since they’d covertly started seeing one another again.

“Then why-?”

“I don’t do that anymore,” Lily interrupted, even though Victoire looked disgruntled. “I gave that up quite some time ago, because I knew…” She hesitated, but said the words aloud anyway. “I knew the only way to be with Teddy was to give all of myself to him. And even though I was scared, I tried. But when he wanted to tell everyone we were together before, I couldn’t. I knew you and everyone else would figure it all out, and I was afraid everyone would hate me. So I was a coward, and let Teddy be the one to hate me instead.”

“And now?” Victoire asked after a long moment.

“Now I’m hoping to be the woman he’s in love with again.” Victoire looked at her, sparkling blue eyes searching as if to sense the truth Lily had hoped rang in her tone, and the redhead tried to read her neutral expression in vain. A thousand thoughts raced through the redhead’s mind as she regarded her cousin with bated breath, heart thudding with nerves. For some strange reason, Lily had the oddest feeling of wanting some kind of blessing from her cousin in regard to Teddy, despite how naive and pointless such a hope sounded to the logical portion of her brain.

“I think you might be,” the blonde finally murmured, smiling slowly and looking resigned. “At least far more than I am.” 

Lily hated that she felt her eyes begin to sting with the threat of tears, and couldn’t help the words that fell out of her mouth, the one thing she’d been certain she’d never be able to utter, now that she was getting a second chance at being with Teddy. “I’m sorry, Vic.” Because while she couldn’t be sorry that Teddy had chosen her, and wanted her, she honestly never wanted to cause her cousin hurt either, but was pretty certain she had.

“Me too, Little Lily,” Victoire replied, and sighed once more. “But if it’s any consolation, I think you’re a far better fit to Teddy than I could ever try to be.” She smiled, making the corners of Lily’s own mouth turn up slightly. “You’re both the sort that goes seeking trouble.”

The redhead smiled wider, because while she agreed in a sense, she was much more certain that she and Teddy were thrillseekers, and trouble just seemed to follow. “Thanks, Vic.”

“You’re welcome,” the blonde replied, and sighed, taking a long drink of tea that had started to grow cold before rising to her feet to leave. “But one word of advice?” she asked after Lily had stood up as well and followed her guest back to the door, feeling far lighter than she had fifteen minutes earlier. Lily nodded. “Go public, and tell everyone. If you love him, don’t let the world think otherwise. Somewhere along the road, I suppose I forgot that.” Lily couldn’t help but lean in and give her big cousin a hug, the damnable tears welling in her eyes despite her best efforts to hold them in, lost for words in gratitude at the way her cousin seemed to accept how things had worked out, and could only nod blankly as Victoire pulled back, smiling, and left, closing the door firmly behind herself while Lily stood, still a little in shock, before her front door. 

By the time Teddy had Flooed over that evening, Lily had processed her ‘talk’ with her cousin that afternoon, and managed to at least compartmentalize her feelings about it all, still hoping against all odds Victoire would never mention her sordid past to anyone. She put in a halfhearted hour on her latest novel that didn’t amount to much, then spent another two on something new that had occurred to her as she mulled over everything she and Victoire had talked about that afternoon.

She was painfully aware, when she turned from her desk and saw Teddy standing in the doorway to her bedroom, watching her and looking amused, that she hadn’t bothered to get dressed properly, or showered, or done anything but stew and brood and scribble away all day. At least short of having her cousin and his ex over for tea. She was pretty positive she looked awful. To her surprise, when he pushed off of leaning against the door jamb and moved with sinuous grace toward her, he hauled her up to stand and snogged her hungrily.

“Mmm, not that I’m complaining,” Lily said between hungry, passionate kisses, “but what’s the occasion? I can’t think of anything significant.” The last word jolted up an octave halfway through as Teddy’s mouth slanted down, and he nipped playfully, and just hard enough, at the sensitive flesh just below her ear along her neck that the mild sting of pain made her wriggle as pleasure jolted through her core and she felt herself getting aroused.

“I had a shit day,” Teddy growled, hauling her impossibly closer, grasping her ass firmly with both hands, snogging her again. Lily groaned into his mouth as she gave into the less than subtle hints Teddy was making as he ground against her insistently and wrapped both thighs around his hips, holding onto him as he carried her over to her bed. She tried to respond, but even as Teddy’s mouth released hers, once they’d gotten horizontal, to blaze a trail of hungry kisses down her neck and over her clavicles, Lily couldn’t think of anything coherent enough. “Fuck, sweetheart, I need you so bad,” he groaned, as Lily arched up into him as he rocked against her, both hands sliding his robes off and fighting to divest him of them entirely.

“You still owe me dinner,” she panted at last, somewhere in the midst of Teddy’s mouth descending down her stomach after he’d stripped her top and tongued both her nipples into peaks of pleasure. Teddy chuckled as he slid her joggers down, along with her knickers.

“I’ve got Chinese takeaway under stasis, sweetheart,” he replied in a husky purr that had Lily’s eyes rolling back in her head as he dragged his teeth across the sensitive flesh just inside her hip.

“You’re the fucking best,” she moaned, and then lost the ability to think once more as Teddy, still chuckling to himself, slid her thighs over his shoulders and buried his face between them.

Two weeks later, Lily firmly told herself to remember what Victoire had told her as she, with a beaming Teddy waving her off, Apparated to the Burrow. She’d requested they arrive a couple minutes apart, if only so she could get herself together enough she could do what they’d planned. 

Lily had, when they’d both been heard the news that they were invited to the Burrow the next Sunday, along with the rest of the family, for her granddad’s birthday lunch, been relieved when Teddy later asked if she wanted him to stay home, or work, instead of going. He’d been quite forthright in his desire to not put any pressure on their still-new relationship reconciliation, and she’d appreciated the thought. But she couldn’t help but hear Victoire telling her that if she loved Teddy, to tell the world. So, trying to be brave, Lily had asked if he wouldn’t mind using the gathering as an opportunity to make things official, and public.

Of course, shocked and after asking if she was sure, and positive, and actually really quite positively sure that was what she wanted, Teddy had admitted he wanted that, and she, blushing and smiling, had kissed him and agreed they’d do it. Now, she was wondering why she hadn’t just kept her head buried in the sand a little longer and taken Teddy up on his first offer of skipping for her.

The redheaded witch nervously meandered through the garden, smiling and trying to act naturally as she socialized, making the usual polite small talk with the dozen or so relatives milling about in the garden, drinking and chatting before everything got underway. Just as she was debating looking for a suitable place to hide, wondering if she’d have more luck getting lost inside, when she felt a warm hand slide down her arm. She turned to see a smiling Teddy, whose amber gaze was unsure, a pace behind her. “Hey,” he said lightly, and Lily, on instinct, turned into him fully as her arms wound with easy familiarity around him and, seeking some kind of comfort and even the most brief respite of her nerves, she lifted her mouth to kiss him. .

Teddy kissed back and Lily could feel the tension melt from him as one of his hands came up to cup her jaw and he snogged her slowly, tenderly, reminding her without words just why she was biting the bullet. She kissed back, trying to soak up some of the Metamorphamgus’s strength and confidence before he broke away, smiling softly down at her.

Lily bit her lip, feeling beyond unsure, but didn’t pull back as Teddy reached for her hand bravely. “I think I might puke,” she whispered, stomach flip flopping, holding tight to his hand as Roxy came closer, smiling hugely, brows still in shocked silly territory. “But I want this,” she added in a whisper, pasting on a decently believable grin as Roxy came right up at last, and Teddy pulled her a tiny bit closer, squeezing her hand and feeling her squeeze back in a show of silent appreciation.

The meaning was clear to both of them as they smiled and looked at Roxanne Weasley, who seemed fit to burst with questions even as Lily launched into a preemptive explanation, and Teddy knew Lily would understand precisely what that reassuring squeeze to her hand meant. _Me too_.

“Look, I know it’s kind of… Well, it’s kind of weird, and obviously a surprise to everyone,” Lily was saying, still clutching his hand as though she might draw strength from her physical contact with him, but Teddy didn’t comment on her frigid tone, “but it works. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like we _meant_ for this to, y’know…” Teddy smirked the tiniest bit as the redhead beside him blushed and waved a hand vaguely, trying to explain without giving away any details of their meeting, or just how she’d come to know Teddy Lupin as more than her god brother, to her own cousin who seemed closest to her no less, and he decided intervention was necessary. 

“What Lily is trying to explain and not really saying is that we realized we fancy each other. So we decided to see where it goes. And now…” He glanced down at her, even as Lily glared mildly at him, most likely for her lack of direct admission, which was something Teddy could give two shits about at this point.

“Now,” Lily continued, sounding a lot more confident and less like she was begrudgingly defending herself, “we’ve decided it’s time to make it public and, well, official I guess.” She shrugged her slim shoulders, not seeing the way Teddy continued to gaze down at her, unable to fight the slightly goofy smile at the warmth that gathered in his chest at the redhead’s words. “There’s just definitely something here, between us,” she said, glancing up and smiling crookedly at the Metamorphmagus in return for a beat, “that I think we can both agree is worth fighting for. So that’s what we’ll do, if we have to.” Lily glanced back at Roxy, who still looked intrigued, but much less shocked now, and more pleasantly surprised. 

As it turned out, most of the Weasley relations seemed, to Teddy’s surprise, to question Lily more harshly than himself once they found out about their relationship, which seemed to be in the next five minutes. And, if the attitudes expressed were anything to go on, the majority seemed accepting, albeit curious, on the whole. 

Though the turquoise haired wizard noticed that there were still plenty who pointedly didn’t come talk to them as they milled around and ate together, which he had expected but still felt irritated by. And while Lily brushed it off with a simple, “They’ll come round, I’m sure,” Teddy was still more than slightly peeved. As far as everyone knew, they’d done nothing wrong, and this new relationship they were in was well after he’d split with Lily’s cousin. Of course, there were a couple of people, most notably Victoire herself and her sister, Teddy had been positive would avoid them like the plague, but he hadn’t quite anticipated the snub from Louis or Joshua, his former almost-brother in law and friend. That one in particular stung a bit.

By the time lunch had been consumed, and plenty of the Weasleys were well into party mode and their cups, including the wizard of honor himself to his wife’s chagrin, Teddy was looking for something to liven up the tedium after telling the same thing to the twentieth person who grew bold, or drunk, enough to ask if they were together or what. So as they headed over to the drinks table to refill their own glasses, Teddy leaned down and murmured to the redhead he’d been dying to kiss properly since he’d first arrived and tasted her far too briefly, “Meet me in the upstairs bathroom in five minutes.”

Before she could respond, Teddy brushed a teasing kiss across her cheek and pulled himself away from her, heading inside and to the bathroom to wait for his girlfriend.

Lily groaned as the bathroom door shut with a soft click behind her, her boyfriend’s mouth quickly covering hers, and then Teddy was hoisting her up against the door, lifting her legs around him, and pinning her with his pelvis. Their mouths met, hot and hungry, and Lily arched up into him, craving more, feeling a wicked thrill of delight at the risk of being caught red handed.

“Fuck, witch, you’ve had me hard all fucking afternoon,” Teddy panted against her lips before his dropped to kiss and lick and suckle their way down her neck, marking the pale column of her throat. Lily’s head tilted back to afford him better access as her hands slid across the breadth of his shoulders then down his back, digging her nails in as she gasped with pleasure when Teddy nipped her particularly hard at the very pleasurable spot just behind and below her ear. Her hands roved around his front, sliding up under his shirt and down his hard, contoured abs greedily before dropping hastily to his belt and tugging it undone.

“Teddy, please,” she breathed, arching her back and grinding her hips forward against the bulge in his jeans, even as he grasped her right wrist and pinned it above her head. 

“Please what?” he demanded in a rough, husky growl that made Lily wriggle and whimper with need, her arousal skyrocketing out of control. 

“Fuck me,” she panted, moaning into his mouth as he kissed her hard, their tongues coiling and thrusting against one another. “Fuck me, Teddy, please,” she gasped as he broke free from her mouth and his fingers slid into her knickers, teasing the slick, wet flesh within. Hazel eyes rolled back into Lily’s head as the Matemorphamgus curled two fingers into her, his thumb rubbing a tight, perfect circle around her clit, and despite the sudden flat-lining of all coherent thought, Lily was all but certain she could _feel_ Teddy smirking like a smug bastard against her neck. 

“Quietly,” he breathed against her ear, holding her painfully tight with his other hand as he fingered her hard and deep, the tips of his long, elegant digits massaging the very best spot within, making the redheaded witch shudder and mewl with delight, even as she bit into her lower lip to hold back the urge to moan. “Unless you’d like someone to hear you?” he teased in a whisper, fingering her harder as she bucked and writhed in silent pleasure.

“Teddy, I need you,” she panted, pushing a hand through his hair before grasping a handful as he kissed and suckled her neck. “Please, I need you,” she groaned in a tortured whisper.

“You’ve got me, sweetheart,” Teddy growled back, sliding a third finger into her, and although Lily didn’t want him to stop as he pleasured her, she wanted his cock inside her even more. “Fuck, you’ve got all of me Lily,” he breathed so low and rough she barely heard.

“Please, Teddy, I need you inside me. I want you to fuck me, _please_ ,” she panted, feeling herself start to lose control as Teddy nipped her neck again, biting and kissing with ravenous abandon, pushing her sanity to the brink as she strove to remain silent while her body screamed in bliss. 

He chuckled against her throat, and with a wicked grin and molten amber eyes meeting hers as she struggled to remain coherent, all but purred, “I do love when you beg me, sweetheart. But we both know the second this yummy cunt gets filled, you’ll never keep quiet enough.” Lily bit her lip harder, certain she might be bleeding, and felt her jerking hips begin to stutter as her muscles twitched and tensed as she passed the point of no return. “Be a good girl and come for me now, and you’ll get all the cock you can handle when we get back to mine, Lily.”

“Teddy,” she moaned, unable to hold it in any longer as the pleasure crested into euphoria, “yes, _yes_ , ohh _fuck_ , I’m-!” Before she could finish the admittedly rather loud admission she was coming, even as he finger fucked her harder and faster still and she shuddered as bliss slammed through her, Teddy was snogging her again, finally releasing her wrist to bury a hand in her hair.

She whimpered and gasped into his mouth as she came down, the pleasure dragging out as he pulsed his fingers softly in and out of her through the aftershocks, then withdrew them completely when she finally dropped her legs from around him. Lily couldn’t help the sated smile that graced her lips, and felt a sharp pulse of arousal zing through her still recovering senses as Teddy, still smirking, brought his fingers to his mouth and laved them lasciviously for her viewing pleasure. “Can we leave now?” she asked huskily, and Teddy chuckled.

“Eager?” he asked, his voice still rocky with contained need, and Lily licked her lips, letting her hand drop to his belt, tugging and enjoying his quiet grunt as her fingers brushed his straining erection.

“Are you?” she shot back, and felt a sense of smug pride as Teddy kissed her ravenously once more, thoroughly mussing her hair as he ran his hand through it.

“You fucking bet, sweetheart,” he growled between kisses, and all but snarled as she grasped him through his jeans, jerking him slowly and teasingly.

Before Lily could suggest they sneak down to the Floo, there was a sharp rap on the door behind them, and the redhead felt her heart jump into her throat, adrenaline spiking and arousal flaring right along with it, even as Teddy pulled away. “Are you almost done in there?” came the distinctly amused and exasperated voice of Roxanne Weasley from outside the door. “Some of us actually need the bathroom to piss, y’know.”

Lily felt her cheeks flame, even as Teddy smothered a chuckle with a fist, waving a hand to indicate Lily should leave ahead of him. “Sorry,” the redhead mumbled, unable to quite meet her cousin’s eyes as she quickly ducked out of the bathroom a moment later, Teddy right behind her.

“Bullshit, Potter,” Roxy said, smirking. “Get a room that’s not here, unless you want Gran finding out just what you’ve done in her house.”

Lily, cheeks still flaming bright red, flipped her cousin off as she laughed and slammed the bathroom door, then all but dragged Teddy back downstairs. “Still want me to take you home, Lily?” the turquoise haired wizard asked as they entered the lounge, and Lily glanced longingly at the fireplace, then back at Teddy. She knew she should stay for cake, and to hug her Granddad one last time, and probably bid at least her parents farewell, but when she glanced back at Teddy, seeing the fire in his amber eyes, she decided they’d stayed long enough, and at already done what she’d set out to do, and made things official. Besides, the last thing she needed was more teasing from her brothers about her getting back together with Teddy, or her cousin Roxy telling everyone what they’d basically been caught doing in the bathroom.

“Let’s go,” she said, and pulled her boyfriend toward the Floo, unable to resist grinning as she jolted onto her toes to kiss him just before he reached for the Floo powder, purring against his ear, “I’m ready for all the cock I can handle, sweetheart, and we both know if you want to fuck _every_ part of me, you won’t be able to keep any quieter than I will.”

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas, y'all!


	14. Chapter 14

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Epilogue - One Year Later

Lily Luna Potter stretched slowly as she woke, the morning sun poking harshly at her eyes as they cracked open, and then the redhead rolled over with a groan. But instead of burying her face into the comforter as she’d expected, she instead came face to chest with a rather fit and very solid male body. Her mouth, before she even fully registered being awake, curled up into a satisfied smile. Her arm instinctively pulled the delicious specimen of wizard closer toward her from where it was looped around his upper waist, lips tracing the exquisite length of one pectoral as she hummed delightedly. 

“Good morning,” said a rough, gravelly voice, right against the sensitive spot just below and behind her ear, and she fought a giggle as her wizard nibbled the lobe of her ear and a hand slid distractingly over her arse.

“Mmm, g’morning,” she hummed against Teddy’s mouth, letting the Metmorphmagus kiss her lingeringly, even as his hand slid from her ass cheek and up her side with reverence, then cupped a breast suggestively. And when he sat up abruptly, rolling over to snog her senseless, Lily realized precisely what day it was, and what that meant. If it was properly morning, that meant today was _the day_. And instantly, she was wide awake, sick with nerves, and no longer in the mood for sex. Heart in her throat, Lily bolted up into a sitting position.

Teddy, seeing her suddenly somber expression as the way Lily’s eyes widened in anxiety, sighed, cursing himself. But, he knew the witch in his bed was capable of being distracted, and so turned his attention to seducing his girlfriend until she couldn’t worry about anything other than him, and whether or not he thought it prudent for her to orgasm after whenever he brought her to that point beforehand. 

“Lily,” he murmured, pressing his lips gently to her neck once more, curving his body warmly behind her where she sat in bed as he too, grudgingly, sat up fully, trying to ease the obvious tension from her shoulders first. “You’ve been through this before, sweetheart; you know exactly what’s going to happen,” he murmured, kissing down the delicate line of her neck and across a collar bone, feeling the rigidity of her posture slowly begin to melt.

“No, I don’t know anything,” Lily said, trying to resist the urge to simply melt into Teddy and lose herself to the very best of distractions. It was thoroughly tempting, because she knew just how persuasive her boyfriend could be, especially when he saw it as a challenge. But that would only prolong the inevitable breakdown, and pile a good helping of guilt onto her already stressed consciousness. Sure, she’d had a book premier before. Twice, in fact. And both times, she’d been nervous certainly, but those works hadn’t been quite as personal as the one she was debuting today. The one that, thanks to her sudden infamy as the wizarding world’s best new author of definitely smutty romance, had been sold out on pre-order and promised to be flying off shelves, according to a number of reviews and critics. 

Yet, despite even the promising numbers already, Lily was terrified her readers would hate the change she’d made in her writing, and even if no one really knew _who_ the author, Blossom Wolfe, really was, Lily didn’t think she could listen to a bad review from someone she knew who’d read the book. “This is different,” she finally concluded as Scorpius’s mouth paused against her flesh. 

“How so?” he asked, and Lily sighed, even as she relaxed against his solid warmth. 

“It’s…” She wasn’t sure she could articulate it properly. It was the mingled fear and hope she had written something her fans would not only enjoy, but perhaps find some kind of courage to follow their own instincts from, and take the plunge into the unknown. Just for the thrill of seeking something greater than they’d ever imagined, that could be all for themselves. It was the same sort of feeling she’d had the first time she’d had a book published, but deeper this time, and felt far more personal. It was like standing on a precipice, wanting to dive forward into the unknown, hoping it would offer that adrenaline rush of success and power she craved deep within. “It’s the ultimate thrill,” she finally whispered, and Teddy smiled softly down at her, looking deliciously sleepy still, rumpled and handsome with his turquoise hair falling into tawny amber eyes, naked and tempting beside her. For Lily, it was the same as the feeling that had coursed through her when she’d first met Teddy, what seemed like another lifetime ago. That electric shift inside, all the way to her magic perhaps, that somehow knew the man now holding her, even back then, would somehow irrevocably change her life. She counted herself lucky it had worked out as it did. But that didn’t negate her feelings of fear that how she’d written this story, this time, wouldn’t be as well-received as anything else before, and couldn’t quell her anxiety about it all. “But it’s damn terrifying.”

She gasped, thoughts scattering, as suddenly Teddy’s hand dropped from her face to between her legs, and he smirked as he leaned in to kiss her. “That’s why there’s nothing to be scared of, love. I’m always going to be here to catch you if you fall,” he murmured in her ear, even as he kissed his way up her neck before claiming her lips in a heated kiss, tongue thrusting suggestively into her mouth.

Lily felt her heart threatening to burst, as it did every time Teddy happened to call her love, even if she knew the term of endearment certainly didn’t mean what she secretly hoped it meant. They occasionally, in the last year or so, had danced around admitting whatever feelings they held for the other, oftentimes in the false cover of pitch black night, tangled together and basking in the aftermath of pure heaven. But, thus far, she hadn’t worked up quite enough courage to admit she was hopelessly and painfully in love with the sexy wizard who was being hinted at for a promotion yet again in the Auror Division, this time to Lead Supervisor of the Specialized Auror Task Force. And although he seemed to use that devastating, four letter L-word as a term of endearment more frequently of late, Lily had forced herself not to read into it. Even if her heart ached to blurt out the truth more and more with every time it fell from his perfect lips, and she had to bite her own to hold the words in. 

“I want to get to Flourish and Blotts early,” she said once he’d pulled back, in a clear subject change that Teddy didn’t question, which didn’t surprise her in the slightest, though he did sigh as if being greatly and dramatically put upon by it. She grinned and sat up properly, making to slide out of the large, raised bed she’d splurged on when moving into her new flat two months previous. The Metamorphmagus quickly tugged her back with an arm around her waist, pulling her in for one last snog, making Lily almost give in to simply getting to the bookshop on time for opening instead, before smacking her teasingly on the arse after breaking away once more.

“If you insist. But we both know I’m going to do my damnedest to persuade you in the shower, Lily.” The redhead laughed as she tried to outrun him to the bathroom, not surprised when the turquoise haired wizard caught her in three strides, hefting her up, still as naked as she was, and tossing her arse-up over his shoulder. She did squeal a little, then louder still when he spanked her, a tiny bit harder, again. “And you’re going to need more than just a flimsy excuse for more unnecessary time to spend worrying to change my mind, sweetheart.”

Lily couldn’t help the giggle that spilled from her lips, even as she wriggled in Teddy’s hold, well aware of just what sort of pleasure was forthcoming in the shower. And the redheaded witch didn’t care in the slightest that she wouldn’t be far too early for the opening of Flourish and Blotts, because she was certain her mind would be thoroughly distracted, in every way, by Teddy and his amorous intentions. Because while she wanted to worry herself all but sick, waiting to see if her newest book would sell at all, let alone _sell out_ like everyone kept mentioning in the press, in person, she couldn’t help but want to simply bury herself in Teddy Lupin’s distractions even more.

An hour later, after a long hot shower that left her feeling almost dirtier than before, Lily was all but dragging her boyfriend by the hand to Flourish and Blotts. She was smiling at the joke he’d made about her being more excited than an eleven year old swot on the hunt for her Hogwarts texts, even as they noticed a long line almost a block from Flourish and Blotts, but she simply laughed at him and kept heading to the bookshop. It was only then she realized the long line of people standing behind them were actually _in_ line. To buy the newest, sure to be sold out by the time the last stragglers made it in, book by Blossom Wolfe.

To say Lily felt shell shocked would be an understatement, and she wasn’t sure she could speak when a harried employee guarding the doors explained they’d have to wait at the end of the line to get in for Blossom Wolfe’s newest book. But Teddy merely expressed to the flustered looking employee manning the doors that they were there for something else, so they waited off to the side of the massive line of people that stretched the block, mostly patiently, to get a chance at buying the book they so clearly wanted to read. It made Lily almost cry a couple times before the store officially opened and her book, written under a pseudonym of course, because she couldn’t even fathom the crowds if the masses knew just who she was the daughter of, began flying off shelves. Teddy didn’t even hesitate to let her wander, eyeing with intrigue and the tiniest smile of satisfaction just how rabid the buyers were. It seemed like a relatively simple concept, but to the Metamorphmagus, it was a logistical nightmare, and he could only follow Lily diligently through the aisles as she peeped on people both coming in and leaving, obviously reveling in their excitement. 

He couldn’t help himself after the fourth time he heard Lily sigh with delight when a buyer looked ecstatic to even be holding her latest book. “I told you it would be the same thing,” he murmured, pulling Lily close as she made to peep around a shelf for the third time in half a minute, drawing her closer by the hips and flush up against himself. “You’re a hit, love,” he whispered against her ear, even as he tried to think of a way to make what he wanted to do not steal her thunder entirely. But every outcome seemed to end in her, undoubtedly, thinking he was trying to take her good mood into accommodation for what he wanted to ask. Which had everything to do with her, in general, and not very much else to do with the release of her latest book. No matter which way he could think to spin it, Teddy was all but certain there was no way he could ask Lily such a huge question on this of all days, and although he was prepared, he wanted the best, most perfect moment to propose to the only witch he wanted to spend the foreseeable eternity with. 

“Stop,” Lily murmured, even as Teddy pictured her smiling blush. He tugged her closer still, snuggling into her from behind, hair face buried in her wild mane of burgundy waves and curls, arms wrapped possessively around her for all to see. He kissed her neck softly, enjoying the soft sigh of contentment that eased from her as she rested against him, her paranoid fear allayed and anxieties silenced, at least until the next go round, the turquoise haired wizard reckoned. 

“I don’t think you _really_ want me to stop, love,” he purred, wanting to tell her just how badly he wanted her, still, despite how many times he’d had her before, in every conceivable position. Teddy purposefully slid his hands down her hips. “I think you might even wind up asking for _more_.”

He both felt and heard her shuddering grunt of arousal, even as her back arched, breasts pushing forward for his viewing pleasure, and her hands came around behind her to clutch at him. “Teddy, we are _so not_ going to have… _that_ , here,” Lily hissed, nails digging into his flank aggressively, but the Metamorphmagus just chuckled. 

“Not here,” he agreed, if only because that also fit in with his entirely selfish aim of having Lily all to himself, preferably forever, without the option of anyone else ever seeing her in the throes of ecstasy. Lily relaxed against him once more. “But when we get home...” he breathed in a low voice, right against her ear, purposefully trailing off to let her imagination take over. The redhead laughed, pushing him away, then turned, lifted onto her toes, and kissed him playfully, sucking suggestively at his lower lip.

“Mmm, sure thing,” the redheaded witch purred, then kissed him briefly again and pulled him back toward the historical nonfiction section. “C’mon, let me show you how much of a swot I am while I get myself a textbook,” she teased, leading him away from the crowds, and back toward a deserted section of the shop. Once they were in a dusty little corner filled with thin spined, probably vintage to before the shop ever opened, books all by the same author, detailing the renovations made to Diagon Alley through the years of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Teddy didn’t hesitate to let Lily pull him down to snog him once again, making him wonder if perhaps she really wouldn’t mind a little additional release in the midst of her book release.

“I thought we weren’t having sex here,” Teddy groaned between kisses that grew increasingly hotter, and had his mind straying almost nonstop to doing a whole lot more than simply kissing Lily in this secluded little nook. He had her pressed up to the shelves, one of her creamy thighs lifted around his hips so he could grind against the ever-dampening barrier of her panties, and his hands full of her hair and one fleshy buttock.

“We’re not,” Lily said, smiling as her hazel eyes glittered and leaning in to nip his lip rougher than she had previously. “Mmm, but you know what we _are_ doing here?” she murmured, all sexy vixen, reminding Teddy forcibly of the first time he’d met her, although better, because he knew he’d never have to share her again, if he got his way.

“What’s that, love?” he asked, even with one hand fisted in her hair and he grinned, looking like a hungry predator as his burning amber gaze dropped to her mouth as it parted in a shivering gasp of pure pleasure. He had to bite back a groan when her tongue darted out, pink and full of mischief, to wet her lips lasciviously.

Her hips jerked forward abruptly in answer, pushing him back as he released her hair, even as she dug her nails into his upper arms and used her momentum to flip their positions in a move Teddy didn’t bother to counter. In the next breath her hands had slid teasing and eager up and over his shoulders then down, reaching for his belt. He couldn’t hold back the groan this time as she stroked him with consummate skill through his trousers with one hand while the other unfastened his belt. “Mmm, it’s a surprise,” Lily purred, and kissed him briefly, teasingly, once more, then abruptly sank to her knees. Teddy couldn’t help his barely stifled moan as her lovely lips joined her hand in caressing his rock hard cock through his trousers, even as he heard the tinkle of his belt being completely undone. His gaze was fastened on Lily’s, her hazel eyes and blown pupils staring up at him all but hypnotizing the Metamorphmagus. And then it hit him, as her industrious right hand undid his button and slid down his zipper, the playful left and her pink, sinful tongue caressing his aching bulge in the meantime. His girlfriend, who was here to originally spy on the sales and possible reactions to her newest book, was about to suck him off in a public fucking book shop. And if it wasn’t perhaps the hottest thing he could think of, the thought of grasping Lily’s luscious mane of hair as he fucked her mouth, right here, where anyone might amble past, on one of the biggest days of her year thus far, Teddy was sure, he’d have dragged her home.

At that moment, however, all he could do was reach down, tangling one hand in her hair and the other cupping her cheek, as she bit her lip and hesitated in pulling his boxer briefs down to ravage him. He nodded at the unspoken question, holding his breath unconsciously, biting his tongue hard enough to surely make it bleed as she revealed his hot, aching hard on and her luscious lips grazed up his shaft as she gripped his base. 

Amber eyes rolled back into Teddy’s head at the first feel of her molten, silken mouth enveloping the head of his cock, and his hands tangled themselves in her hair instinctively as he breathed out a ragged, “ _Fuck_ yes, sweetheart.”

“Mmmm,” the redhead hummed around his length, hazel eyes flickering up for a beat as the corner of her sinfully delicious mouth quirked ever so slightly into a smirk, as if she knew just what she was doing to her wizard. Which, in fact, she thoroughly did. Teddy was as much a sucker for a blowjob, especially an unexpected one, as he’d ever been, and Lily didn’t hesitate to use whatever advantage she could find with her mouth. 

“Yes, fuck, oh _yes_ , sweetheart,” Teddy growled in a husky whisper. “You’re so fucking good with that nasty, filthy, perfect fucking mouth, sweetheart,” Teddy whispered, barely aware of speaking at all, voice hoarse as he tried to hold in his grunts and groans and utterly unabashed moans of pure bliss as he felt Lily take him impossibly deep. “ _Shit_ , Lily,” he breathed, clenching fistfuls of her dark red locks and wanting to have her alone, all to himself, for as long as possible as he thrust deeper into her throat and she gagged lightly around his girth. “Yes, love, show me how much you love that cock,” he whispered raggedly, even as he thrust into her willing heat again, while she lunged forward into him with exuberant zeal.

“Mmhmmm,” Lily moaned around him, in apparent approval as she pulled back, and Teddy felt his control wavering dangerously. Because when he managed to compose himself enough to look back down at his redheaded lover, whom he was now holding steady while fucking her sultry, slick mouth as she gripped his dick in one hand and his right hip in the other, he found Lily’s hazel eyes glinting mischievously up at him. And he had to grit his teeth against the urge to come right that moment, pulling free of the delicious suction between her lips. “I wasn’t done with that,” she panted, voice gravelly from the abuse her throat had just taken from and for him, and Teddy hauled her upright, even as Lily pouted, hazel eyes gleaming with lust and unrestrained desire.

“I’m sure. But I was about to be done, and,” Teddy growled back in a husky whisper between hungry kisses, while his hands groped her excitedly and with relish and longing searing her nerve endings, “as tempting as the thought of letting you swallow all my come right here is, love, I’d rather make you beg for it just a little longer.” Lily had to bite her lip hard against the urge to moan. “And louder, too,” Teddy added, then snogged her roughly once more. “Let’s go home, shall we? Unless, of course, you need something else here, love.”

The redheaded witch didn’t bother to respond, and simply dragged Teddy, who hastily tucked away his raging hard on, forcefully by the hand toward the front door of the book shop, clearly as eager as the Metamorphmagus was to get back to her place and finish what she’d started. By the time they stumbled out of Lily’s fireplace, after making a hasty journey through Diagon Alley to the Leaky Cauldron and the public Floo, they were both aching for the other to be naked as they snogged messily. Teddy didn’t hesitate, even as he steered them toward Lily’s bedroom, to pull his wand and groan a desperate, “ _Evanesco_ ,” to strip the redhead of her clothes entirely in one magical swoop.

Lily gasped as the cool air of her flat hit her flushed skin, contrasting so perfectly with the heat of Teddy pressed up against her front she had goosebumps running up her spine and down her arms. “I really liked that outfit,” she scolded, even as she all but climbed Teddy's front, seeking out not only his body heat, but to gain the upper hand to ravage him in retaliation for her lost clothes. 

“I’ll replace them, sweetheart,” he replied, smirking and taking control of her with ease as he laid her out in her bed, leaning back to admire the picture she made. All her wild, dark red waves of hair fanned across her pillow, the soft curves of her breasts falling in on themselves and spreading out into tempting globes that sat high on her chest, her shapely thighs still half wrapped around him like delicious, creamy vice grips… To say she looked like a goddess would be an understatement. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” Teddy breathed, just looking at her, burning that perfect image of her, completely naked and spread, panting and utterly ready for him, into memory. 

“Stop being a sentimental prick and fuck me, Lupin,” the redhead growled, her hazel eyes burning with furious, impatient passion, and Teddy grinned, feeling his dick throb in his pants as it seconded her assertion. 

“Tsk tsk,” he chided teasingly, even as he shifted to kiss down her sternum, both feeling and relishing the wiggle that his neglect of lavishing her flawless, delicious breasts brought out in his witch’s luscious body. “Such a nasty mouth on you, Lily,” he murmured, now thoroughly determined to make Lily beg for him to fuck her and plead for him pound her sweet little pussy like she so desired. 

“Mmm, and we both know _just_ how much you like it, sweetheart,” she relied huskily, the last word coming out on a moan as Teddy nipped at her hip bone hard enough to sting, then licked the instant flash of pain into pleasure.

“I fucking love it,” Teddy all but growled, shifting between her thighs, and before Lily could even open her mouth to make a snappy retort, he’d scooped his arms under her thighs, spread her wide, and licked a molten stripe up her dripping sex, dipping ever so briefly into her before gliding up to flick long, sure lick across her clit. 

The only thing Lily managed to murmur was a breathy, “ _Fuck_ yes,” before she lost herself entirely to bliss, brought to a rapid orgasm under Teddy’s talented tongue.

By the time she’d caught her breath from the first orgasm, her turquoise haired wizard was pushing inside her still soaked, now utterly and completely thoroughly _drenched_ really, pussy, and she felt the thrum of another orgasm waiting to be unleashed within. “Godric, so fucking tight,” Teddy breathed, trying not lose it entirely, but as he thrust home into Lily’s hot, wet quim, feeling her clench around him before he withdrew, his control wavered. “So hot and tight and perfect, sweetheart,” he growled, sliding easily back into the hilt, slow and teasing, making Lily want to climb the walls. “And all for me,” the Metamorphmagus all but whispered, almost to himself, but Lily, with her ear right next to his mouth buried in her neck, heard him.

“All yours, Teddy,” she panted, and lost her breath as Teddy withdrew and slammed home, pushing up onto his elbow as sliding one hand into her hair as he slowly but surely began to fuck her harder and faster.

“Mine,” he snarled again, some time later, just as Lily felt his fingers brushing her clit in hard, fast circles, his cock hitting someplace perfect within her, and she opened her mouth to tell him she was his, as surely as she knew he was hers, but in that precise moment, her orgasm ripped through her, and she was lost to the euphoria of Teddy over her, owning, inside her and one with her.

“Fuck, you have no idea how fucking much I love you,” Teddy growled, his mouth moving without thought, his thoughts running faster than a mountain brook, and just as unchecked, as he thrust lazily, once again, into Lily’s inviting heat as she panted beneath him. “You’re so fucking perfect, absolutely bloody gorgeous, so good,” he mumbled, incoherent as he came down from the best orgasm of his life. Lily chuckled huskily, throat still raw from her own shouts of completion only moments ago.

“Same to you,” she murmured between lazy kisses and gasps for air after her world had been rocked entirely. She was quite certain she’d never come so hard in her life, but then again, that seemed to be a theme with her turquoise haired lover in general, so she wasn’t too pessimistic about assuming there would be even better orgasms in the future to come. And in the delirious bliss post orgasm, in that moment, Lily wanted to tell him she loved him.

She knew it had never really been something she’d been able to tell Teddy though, at least since the revolution of their relationship, and found herself wanting to share just how she felt for Teddy Lupin with the wizard himself. The redheaded witch wanted to tell him with both body and her words precisely just how much she loved him, and had loved him for so long it almost hurt, in that moment.

“I love you,” she said with confidence, looking up into his amber eyes that were bright with mild arousal and utterly molten with lust still.

“Lily,” Teddy said, even as his eyes seemed to darken as his pupils widened with arousal. “You don’t have to-”

“Yes, I do,” the redhead insisted, even as her mouth tilted up for another greedy kiss from the wizard she was hoping might someday be hers for keeps. “I’m not making anything up,” she whispered, even as she glared at him still. “I’m disgustingly in love with you, and I’m not sorry about it.”

Teddy grinned, and Lily felt a thrill of electric arousal skitter through her as her boyfriend’s grin turned into a leer. “That’s fortunate,” he rumbled, leaning down to her as he shuffled his forearms, where he rested the bulk of his weight over the deceptively delicate-looking hazel-eyed witch, holding her closer as his mouth brushed, teasing and tempting, over hers.

“Oh yeah?” Lily challenged, hazel eyes bright with mischief, just the way Teddy liked to see her before he ravaged her to blissful submission. It was just enough of a hint of Blossom to make him want to own her as none had before, while still being his Lily, the witch he wanted to worship for the rest of his earthly days. 

“Yeah,” he growled, kissing her hard, and thoroughly, his tongue pushing into her mouth in the same way his cock had into her sweet, hot, tight, and utterly delicious pussy had been before, and though the Metamorphmagus was tempted to simply fuck Lily into incoherent euphoria again, he pulled back. Amber eyes were determined when she stared up at him, pouting ever so slightly, and he forced himself to ask the one thing he’d wanted to for the last six months. “Marry me.” When he saw Lily’s eyes go wide, mouth parting in shock, he instantly regretted it, but there was no going back now. He’d said it, and the words, even as he realized how surprising they must have been for the redheaded witch to hear, couldn’t be taken back. _Stupid! You didn’t even ask her, you just told her to marry you_.

For a long moment, Lily could only stare up into Teddy’s amber eyes, reading the sincerity there, and feeling the warmth of pleasure in her chest that even her nerves couldn’t diminish. That, in a way a wizard or man never really had romantically before, this was Teddy choosing her. This was her becoming the first and best option. No longer just the other woman, but the sole person he wanted to truly share his life with, above all others, and let the world know. Lily wasn’t sure for a long beat what to say in response as all the emotions crashed through her, and almost instantly, Teddy winced before schooling his face into an expressionless mask, his standard Auror face.

“Never mind. Let’s just pretend I didn’t-”

“Don’t say that,” Lily snapped, cutting him off and making turquoise brows raise in shock and the venom in her tone. “Don’t even try to fucking pretend you didn’t just ask me to marry you, Teddy,” she spat, suddenly furious, that he thought he could just revoke those blissful emotions and those breathtaking moments of realization of her worthiness for his love and devotion and ultimate commitment. “Don’t take that from me,” she whispered, unable to hold her facial muscles in place as they morphed into the Absolutely Hideous Ugly Cry face and tears stung her eyes as doubt reared its ugly head within her. _Always the perfect mistress material, but never good enough to marry_. 

Instantly, Teddy’s mask crumbled, and his haunted eyes looked back at her, even as he lifted his arms to hold her. “I just didn’t want to-”

“ _No_ ,” Lily said firmly. “You don’t get to assume that me taking literally five seconds to think about this, to _feel_ this, what you’ve asked me, before instantly reneging on it,” she said, voice cracking with a sob on the last word.

“Lily, I-”

“ _NO_!” she spat again, pushing at his chest and dashing the traitorous tears from the corners of her eyes as she firmed up her lower lip and glared up at him. “Ask me again. Properly,” she demanded.

Teddy stared at her, his amber eyes darting back and forth between her hazel ones, as if trying to catch one of them lying, or playing him for a fool, but all he saw was determination and fury from his redheaded love. So he gulped silently past his fears and said again, roughly, “I love you, Lily.” Emotion clogged his throat for a moment before he swallowed again, much more noticeably this time, and asked, “Will you marry me?”

The words came out, to Teddy’s chagrin, much more wavering and rough than he’d intended, but Lily merely beamed up at him. “Someday, yes,” she said, wanting to make herself clear that she had only just begun her self discovery, and with Teddy, she could imagine a lifetime of changing and growing, and doing whatever it took to find that euphoric thrill of adrenaline and power and bliss. And she wanted that with him very much, but not, perhaps, at the speed he might be imagining. 

But Teddy, to her surprise, merely chuckled at that. “Alright, Lily. Someday.”

And they both smiled, even as Teddy leaned down to seal the deal with a kiss, because the promise of someday, even if it wasn’t a precise time, was enough for Teddy. He wanted to have Lily forever as his own, and Lily wanted to love Teddy for the rest of her life. And together, someday, they would get married, maybe have a baby along the way and perhaps settle into a normal sort of life, but they would most certainly always be, at heart, true thrillseekers.

XXX

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're here at the end. And if you've read this far, then this one's for you. Thank you so much to everyone who reads, reviews, and drops a kudos. Y'all are my favourites. <3


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